Lyon County times. [volume] (Silver City, Nev.) 1874-1907, 1879-07-05
A TERRIFIC COMBAT.
STRUGGLING FOR THE LEAD.
ERSHIP OF A FLOCK.
A Goat and a Ram Fighting Down
One Mountain and Up Another
The Ram Yanquished After An
Hours Contest,

goat who had acted as the patriarch
of the flock of goats which wander
about the hills, had not been seen.
ana an old ram had usurped his
place at the head of the flock. When
ever strange he.go attempted to
Join the flock the ram invariably
drove him away. Last Wednesday
afternoon the patriarch returned.
and attempted to resume the leader
ship. Tho ram thereupon showed
fight, and terrific combat followed,
the goats retiring to respectful dis
lance and witnessing the struggle
without evincing any disposition to
interfere. When the leaders first
came together they were on the brow
OF the hill east of the Silver Hill
works. The ram led off by butung
the goat on the side, to throw him
down hill; but the goat, although
thrown on his back, quickly recov-
cred himself and leaped to tho furth-
err side of the ram in two bounds.
The latter now faced his antagonist,
whereupon the goat got up on his
hind legs and brought his horns to
bear full on the forehead of the ram.
| The two now locked horns, and the
ram forced the goat up hill. As soon
as the goat got loose he repeated the
same move as before, but the ram
stepped out of the way and, as the
goat got within range, gave HIM a
sprawling about thirty feet down
hill. Before the goat was well on
his feet the ram was on him and
| again butted him down hill.
The goat thereupon changed his
tactics. Perceiving that by remain
ing below the ram he would be at a
continual disadvantage, he moved
from the ram as if running away.
The ram quickly followed, but the
cunning goat steppea aside and al
lowed the ram to pass him. He
then inserted his horns under the
hind quarters of the ram, and raised
himself on his legs. The ram was
thus eiectually hooked, and una
BILE to move. After minute or so,
| the goat loosened his hold, and the
ram seized the opportunity to face
his adversary. But the goat had
gained an advantage which lie was
determined to keep. and during the
remainder of the fight he invariably
prevented the ram from getting
above him. The ram being heavy
and slow, while the goat was exactly
the reverse, this was comparatively
an easy task. Whenever the ram
moved away TO climb above the
goat, the latter would get higher and
higher, butting and biting the ram
at every step, and then lodging be-
hind sagebrush to avoid the rams
blows. Finally, the ram made a
stand, and awaited the onslaught of
the goat from above. 1t came, but
without any result, the two animals
striking their heads together with
in the ravine below, but without APP
parent injury to either. This was
repeated three or four times, when
the goat, firing of this, made sud
den movement and caught his horns
under the fore quarters of the ram,
and turned him over lengthwise,
throwing him down hill about fifty
| feet. The ram was now badly hurt,
| and began to show fatigue. He was
losing blood, and did not seem to be
I able to continue the fight. The
goat came down leisurely, and stood
of at distance of about ten feet.
The ram raised himself slowly and
began to look around, when the goat
suddenly sprang upon HIM, and
with well-directed blow, sent the
ram sprawling TO the grade to the
| Niagara hosting works. The goat
then attempted to follow up his ad-
vantage, but the ram was too
| s,l- 70 81.