Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1874-01-22
4 Buffalo Fight.

Ahe ioiio"ihS graphic description OF
a buffalo fight, written by an eve wit
ness, is taken from the Kansas 1Maoa
~ine:
The challenger advanced from the
herd within toar feet, getting angrier
and angrier as he came. Suddenly
there WAS crash which had in # some-
thing Hon'eric A rafting onset of
that kind leaves one no longer in doubt
as to why'the sholt strong horns of the
ouHaloes have a splintered appearance
at the spices. Then there was a lone
steady push, in which every tendon OF
the huge bodies of the bufaloes wer,
strained to the utmost. Then there
was strategic easing off; then. a sud
den gladlatoral thrust, which pressed
the huge heads to the ground in an
even balance of strength. Neither
beast dared relax muscle or retreat an
men, Tor fear of that fatal charge upon
the Hank, or that dangerous twist of the
neck which means defeat.
"A momentary relaxation of the tra-
mendous strains only resulted in the
soa"cy heaos coming down together
Again with dull thump, and a re
newal Of the logged pushing which
mlght have moved a freight train. It
was matter of lungs and endurance
and the white froth began to drop in
long. tenacious strings from their Inns
/ anu me red eyes to glare dimly through
what seemed clots of blood | conld
near the labored breathing where |
lay, and see the tendons stand ont
across the thighs and along the thick
necks.
But this dead set of strength could
not last always. Each moment Of time
was telling disastrously upon the short
er wlnd and decaying strength of the
oid crusader, who still fought for the
love OF his youth. His foot slinned
and the Intelligence of this slight dis
as'er seemed to reach his antagonist
quicker than flash of light. No gia-
dlator ever urged his advantage more
suddenly There was huge lunge
sound OF holns slipped upon each other,
a spring forward, and the HON of the
younger bull made raking upward
stroke through his antagonists flank
Inc hight now became brisk. Again
aud again the old one turned and tried
to make the old stand head to head
as often Ills more active antagonist
caught him behind the shoulder. With
the red agony of defeat in his eyes, and
the blood trickling from the long
wounds III his TANKS, he still refused to
DE- conquered. With falling strength
and limbs which refused any longer to
serve him, he finally stood at bay, with
open mouth and hanging tongue, I'm
able to light and disdaining to retreat.
Ills antagonist pushed him, and he
yleldly doggedly. He made no att
tempt to shield his flank; ard pitifully
endured all that came.
The original plan of non-interference
was abandoned, and the young lords
gathered about him, aud snored and
shook their heads, and gave him au &C.
caslonal dig in the ribs by way of ex
pressing their contempt for him. The
cows came and shifted at him, induced
IN splteiu feminine butts, and wa)keo
away, Their manner implied that they
had always regarded him as disagree
able old muii, and they were glad he
hually understood their heartfelt senti-
ment III regard to bin.
through all this the old fellow stood
an1eslsting, whipped, but still obsti
nate Gradually they left him to him
self, and the herd wandered farther
away. He did not even look around :.
he was probably forced at last to ac-
cept his sentence of Punishment, and
go and 1--we as long as he could alone.
q
and fight his last fight with the coyotes
and die.