Kenosha tribune & telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1856-1859, 1859-01-13
a Volunteer Bull Fight.

| remember once seeing, when lad
at school, a fight between two bulls
Although ! could not have been more
than eight years of age, | shall never
forget the spectacle. 1t happened in
this wise Close by the school house
ran deep and rapid river. Across it
had been thrown a high wooden bridge,
the hand railing Of which, time and the
winds, and the weather, had entirely
destroyed. The lands OH the opposite
sides OF the stream was owned by diff
terent persons and farmed by them re-
spectiveIy. One bright summer day,
the hour Of noon had arrived, and frol-
icksome, fun seeking troop of school
boys were let loose for an hours recre-
alton.
All at once the believing and roaring
of two bulls, that had broke out of their
enclosure on each side of the river, at.
tracted our attention. The animals
were not yet in sight of each other, but
were approaching along the highway at
a rate Of speed which would cause them
to meet near the centre Of the bridge
which | have described, and beneath
/ which, at some thirty feet, ran the river
between steep banks. Nearer and near
err approached the proud, paving com
batallts. Presently, as they ainultane-
ously assembled the respective abutments
they came full in sight Of each other
They they were, front to front, their
horns locked, every muscle strained,
they were fighting as only bulls can
fight 1t seemed an even match. Now
one would press back his opponent few
PAGES, and presently his adversary would
be pressed back in return. The strug-
Cling was hard, was long, was savage.
For while neither obtained an adyan-
tage.
Hitherto they had been pushing each
other lengthwise Of the bridge; sudden
ly they began 20 wheel, and in a mo-
ment Were facing each other crosswise.
There were at right angles with the
length Of the old bridge, which shook
and croaked and rocked again with
their tramping and their terrible strife.
Ii was the work of q single moment;
one Of the beasts made q violent, des-
perate plunge forward and pressed his
antagonist back-back-till over he
weut.
Such sight I never saw proba-
bly, shall never see again. Imagine a
bull pitched backward over bridge
and falling at least thirty feet, over and
ever! He turned once or twice proba-
bly,; thought he turned fifty times,
there seemed such confusion of horns
and feet revolving, flying through the
air. But down he went the water was
deep, and he disappeared, leaving q
whirlpool of foam behind him, and ma
king the river undulatc far and wide
with the conclusion Of his ponderous
bulk.
There stood the victor, looking d.
rectly down into the abyss below, into
which he had hurried his unlucky foe.
He stood, how ever, but moment, and
then as if frightened at the prospect, he
began to snort and step Backward
Back, back, he retreated, with his head
in the same pugnacious attitude as when
in combat-aud over he, too, went, on
the opposite side ofthe bridge, perform
ing just as many and as ludicrous SOM
ersets as his adversary bad done min
ute before
In about five minutes both bulls might
be seen, well sobered by their ducking,
dripping wet, scratching up the steep,
gravelly banks, each on his own side OF
the river. Those bulls neverfought any
more two more peaceably- disposed an
imals than they, ever afterwards, could
not have been found.