The Dallas daily herald. [volume] (Dallas, Tex.) 1873-1887, 1875-12-18

abolished there The savage strug.
giles OF beasts, starved or excited
mo tafoclty, are bad enough, IN all
Ierocity, TO witness but these are "a
very common ut Indian entertain
ments that, like bull-aght IN Spain,
one sees them once or twice ns part OF
the fashion Of the country. Nor, TO tell
the truth, Is there wanting an element
OF excitement In watching the tiger
and the buffalo bull maneuyer against
each Other saber-ike horn against dag
ger-llke tooth; or two well-fed rams
come laundering brow against brow,
with n shock that rattles far aud near.
The Prince was introduced to certain
OF these combats, and saw, besides, the
curious duel rhinoceroses, where de-
spite their unwieldy bulk and awkward
weapons, there Is really almost ms
much science displayed M Captain
Burtain has elaborated in his recent
wonderful treaties on sword-play, with
all Its deadly mysteries Of mouinet
and the like. These cunning behe-
moths fence and foil 10 get the advan-
tage Of the telling thrust under the jaw
with their horn, and over and over
again they will close, and press, aud
butt one another backward and for
ward in clouds Of dust, snorting and
grunting and champing foam, while
the attendants refresh them with CO.
pious chatties of water, neither obtain
ing the fatal opportunity. By-and-by
one OF the com batants grows weary, nj
lowing his monstrous j0wls to be thrust
sideways or upwards, and Immediately,
with marvellous celebrity, the successful
beast drives his armed snout under the
jaw of his adversary, producing Il
wound which is acknowledged with Il
frightful squeal and an inglorious re-
treat on the part of the vanquished
monster.
For the elephant fight proper the
contending pairs are carefully trained
and prepared beforehand with stim.
lating food and drugs and advantage il
also taken of that periodical frenzy
displayed in the male elephant which
Is known as must. At such time Of
natural excitement the elephant be-
comes fierce and formidable even to
his keeper, and only to lead two such
beasts forth into the arena aud show
tn em for u moment the waving trunk
ofthe distant female, produces degree
of pugnacity which wants little addi-
tional encouragement. 1t was one Of
the favorite pleasures of the unfeeling
Roman populace to watch elephant
fights in the amphitheater. Augustus,
who gave the people 430 panthers, and
Pompey, who let loose six hundred
lions into the arena, We're thought to
he outdone by Trajan when he pro-
duced twenty elephants in state of
must, and pitted them in deadly COM
bat against GOO Getulian captives.
That was one elephant to thirty men,
nor would the odds seem disproportion-
ate to those who have witnessed the
Indian hdti in his wrath, trumpeting
out blasts of rage and defiance from
his uplifted trunk, strengthening his
tail, dropping his great UNDERLYING
pointed lip to give fair play to his
ivory bayonets, and his little eyes glar-
ing all the while like fireballs from the
shadow Of the huge ears. Yet there
are mahouts who will sit on their necks
and push in the thickest of the fight
brutes as mad even as this-digging at
their nape, this side and that, with the
ankus or hook, though hardly more
secure than would be the captains of
two iron-clads coming into collision,
with their eighty-ton cannon discharg-
ing, if they perched themselves upon
the bow-sprit ends. But only the best
trained animals would be trusted to
thus respect man amid their widest
rage; ordinary fighting elephants can
not be ridden to the combat the ma
bouts excito and cheer them, and then
slip off before the encounter begins.
When it does begin such as can look
with pleasure on these things behold n
colossal duello. The enormous crea-
lures charge like mountains rolling to-
gether, their tusks clash and clatter,
their huge feet delve chasms in the
dust and scatter it in clouds and they
rear up on their hind legs and wrestle
for mastery with an agility as aston
ishing as'is their senseless fury. The
trunk, ear and flank are the weak
places, as the wise beast well knows
and what with each keeping his own
clear and seeking TO seize that of his
opponent, so that he may force him
aside and drive an ivory sword tip UNI
der the elbow or hook, or wiring OIL his
leathern ear, one and the other probos-
els fly about together in the air like
arms of an Infatuated windmill. Shrill
signals of fear, of rage, of victory or de-
feat, accompany the rounds, for the
wrathful elephant blows his own battle
music continually, and screams with
tremendous anxiety when he isgetting
the worst of it. Presently some advan-
tage is gained, and blow or dig which
would annihilate anything but Levia-
than Is dealt, whereupon, ordinarily,
the sagacious brute who has fought in
vain knows that he is defeated, and
quietly declines to stand up to any
needless punishment. He turns tail
and trots off, ungainly and discomfit-
ted, covered with dust and blood, and
pursued little while by the victor,
who soon, however is content to trllm-
net out an insulting blast, and range
the arena for another foe. 1t wants
considerable skill at such moment to
slip the foot ropes on the triumphant
monster and get him out of the way
but this is managed by the adroit ma
bouts, either by cunning approaches or
by bringing in couple OF females.
Sometimes d weak elephant is forced
tc the earth and gored or stamped so
that he dies, but generally they olive
to fight another day." provided that
the tusks have not been fitted with
steel points, which is occasionally
practiced'
law Cooke OutdOne.