Marshall County Democrat. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1855-1859, 1859-02-03
A Volunteer Bull-Fight.

eight years old, shall never forget the
spectacle. Ithappened in this wise:
Close by the school-house-an unpreten-
ding ed;6ce-ran deep and rapid river
Across it mad been thIown high wooden
bridge. the handrailings of which time.
the winds and the weather, had entirely de-
stroyed. The land On the opposite sides
of The stream was owned by different per-
sons. and farmed by them respectively
One bright summer day. { remember it
as though it were yesterday the hour Of
noon had arrived, and frolicsome, fun
seeking troop of schoolboys were let loose
for IN 'ogl's recreation.
All at once the believing and roaring Of
two bulls that had broken out Of their en-.
closures on each side Of the river. attract
ed our attention. The animals were not
yet in sight Of each other, but were ap-
preaching along the highway at rate Of
speed which would cause them to meet
nea, the center Of the high bridge which
l have described. and which, at some thir-
ty feet, ran the river between steep banks.
The more daring Of us gathered near the
bridge, lining it to See the anticipated fight.
We were rot disappointed. Nearer and
nearer approached the proud, ling CON-
batants. Bashan never produced two
bru.es Of cercer aspect. They lashed their
sides with their tails, they tore the ground
with their feet. Occasionally they would
kneel down, trying to gore the earth with
their horns. And yet they were concealed
each from the other, by the steep ascent Of
the bridge at either end. Presently, as
they asccnded their respective abut-
ment, they came in full sight of each 9TH
er. The roar was mutual and actually tre-
mandous. Every urchin of us sprang in
to the field and ran. rindia. however, that
we were no: pursued, we hastily retraced
our steps. There they were. quite as sens
IDLY employed as some of their human i'm
itators. Front to font, their horns locked
every muscle strained; they were fighting
as only bulls can fight. II seemed to be
an even match. Now one would press
back his opponent a few PAGES. presently
you would hear quick, short steps, and his
adversary would press back in return. The
struggling was hard, was long. was saw
age. For awhile neither obtained an ad
vantage.
Hitherto they had been pushing each
other lengthwise Of the bridge; suddenly
they began to wheel, and in moment they
wer0 facing each other crosswise. They
were at right angles with the old bridge,
which shook, and creaked, and rocked
again with their trampling and terrible
strife 1t was the work of single mo-
ment; one Of the beasts--I could not tell
which, one of them. however, as if con-
scious of his position. made violent. a
desperate plunge forward, and pressed his
antagonist back. back, till there was but
another step of the plank behind him. be-
tween him and nothing! The moment was
one Of intense interest to us Juvenile spec
tators. Never was the amphilheater OF
Rome the scene of more exciting com
bat Another step backward, yes. the
unfortunate bull was forced to take it! He
is pressed back, and over he goes.
Such a sight never saw--probably new
er shall see again. Imagine bull pitched
backward over bridge and falling at least
thirty feet, over and over! He turned once
or twice probably; | thought he turned fif-
ty times, there was such confusion OF
horns and feet, revolving. flying through
the air. But down he went; the water was
deep and he disappeared, leaving a whirl-
Lool Of foam behind him, and making the
river undulaie far and wide with the con-
cussioh Of his ponderous bulk.
The other bull did not laugh, merely
because bulls. AS | supposed. could not.
But we laughed and shouted our applause.
There stood the victor, looking directly
down into tbs abyss below. into which he
had hurried his unlucky foe. He stood
but moment. and then. as if frightened
at the prospect. he began to snort and step
backward. Back he retreated. with his
head in the same pugnacious attitude as
when in combat-back- still another step
back--and over he, too, went on the op-
posi'e side ofthe bridge, performing just as
many and as ludicrous somersets as his ad-
versary had done before. 1t was scene TO
be remembered; and the performance call
ed immense applause from the group OF
juvenile ameteurs who witnessed it.
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 will never fight any
more," said a boy behind me. His pre-