The weekly Ottumwa courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1857-1872, 1865-06-29
How Will Horses Fight.


I had often heard from peon authority,
and sometimes from white men, whom |
accounted better authority. Of the uses to
which the horse of the UdRoS and pampas
sometimes apply their heels; and, upon
numerous occasions since We came down
int the Great Basin. we have been furnished
with occular demonstrations of the pro-
clivities of these fleet, beautiful animals
for using weapons, both offensive and de-
tensiVe, not only tlleir heels, but their fore
feet and teeth.
II was not, however. until after we had
| crossed the headwaters Of the Tacoarv. en-
tered upon the county Of the CavOcubavo
range, that We had an opportunity of wit
Messing battle royal between the slender,
clean-llmbed, South American rangers of
the Brazilian forest.
The six months that we had been in the
Great Basin had occupied rs chiefly along
the courses OF the Parana. Paranahvba.
and their tributaries, where there was little
wooded country, and, consequently, very
few of the larger and more formidable an
imals with which all the forest regions of
the interior abound.
Rnt we had got fairly into the wild heaS
t-aIinn- -atlaSt-anl for a week or so had
been iavoaed with a good deal more of their
cOmpanionship than was agreeable. Pu-
mas, leopards, tigers and cougars were
quite as numerous as we had found the
smaller Srilrsls ont on the plains, and ten
times more neutrality-suspicious. the
puma, the only one of all our new neigh
bors who had no fear of fire ord very little
of orr rifles, compelling us by his auha-
ciOuS braVado, generally to settle our diff
ference with the laSSO and the lance.
The northwestern slore of the Tucbayo
rahge is, perhaps, one Of the most singular
sierra formations in the world From its
general base, which is densely wooded,
iutS ont into the grassy plain, long. narrow
spurs of sierra, of moderate elevation, of
irregular lengths and distances from each
other, and all heavily timhpred 10 their
very oxtrelnities. From birds evepoint
of view the mountain would probably APP
pear something like vast comb, with the
teeth irregularly sci on some OF them bfo-
ken out.
Asa rule we kept to the level ground,
passing around these spurs; hit OCCASION
ally. when we came to Il barrier of trifling
elevation and Had a fancy To replenish s,ur
stock Of game, we crossed one OF the sier-
ras either directly on sli*gonally, as suited
our purposc>
One afternoon we were crossing one of
when Mendoza, our Wild Paraguavan out
rider, came driving back. all excitement.
shouting in his fingad .trdnca of the bor-
der:
"ola! Scnors-vamos n yer! Ten ha-
mos dos leo grande haber casta muerto
comn cl cRrvalhos,''
"What's that, Mcndoza-two lions hav-
ing death fight with the horses?''
Isl, senior, Bon combato! Vamos yer."
eagerness had slightly outrun the facts
The battle was moi set yet, but it was in
evtable, and near at hand.
There would be right royal sport worth
Witnessing. SO having gone down the
slope of the sierra at a rattling dash, we
whore we had an admirable lookout; and
laying clear the .jakes of our lassos, loos-
ening the fastening of our lBnces, and un-
shining our rifles, we prepared for whatev-
er emergency might arise.
The level, grassy plain between the two
spurs, was less than half mile in width,
and about one-third of the distance across
it, counting from one side, and directly in
front of our position was grazing quietly a
beautiful mouse-colored mare, having a
pair oftwin colts, three months old perhaps,
frisking about her. Or to our right, and
down towards the bottom of the grassy
cove, were two immense pumas-male and
Misunderstanding cautiously out towards
the unsuspicious mare; and away to the
small herd of the finest looking horses /
had ever seen on Udno or pampa.
The animals had discovered the pumas,
and were preparing for battle; while the
lone mare, her attention diverted probably
by the gambols of her foals, remained un-
| concious of her danger. ........an
The mare was about midway between
her friends and enemies, and the pair of
ferocious brutes appeared to be calculating
'htii tiis'iiteS VI pOuHciilS upon anu peai-
ing off thetwo foals before the horse brigade
could sweep down upon them.
There was something very like reason i'm
the sagacity manifested by the horses
The herd numbered perhaps hundred
animals among them some twenty mares,
with foals by their sides. After brisk
trotting to and fro for two or three minutes
hv half a dozen of the finest looking stall
ions ever saw, as many staid, matronly