The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1888-09-12
BATTLE BETWEEN BULLS.
They Met on Precipice and Fought to
The Death.

The Death.
Mr.. Thos. S. Moore, a well known and
substantial citizen of Garrard county,
tells graphic story of a desperate ep-
counter that occurred on the crest OF q
knob of his neighborhood several days
ago between a couple of enraged bulls,
in which both were killed. The animals
had wandered to the heights, and upon
sighting each other at once engaged in
duel to the death. Those unacquslnted
with the instincts of such creatures can
not easily imagine what extreme feroclty
they sometimes display. In speaking
of the incident, Mr.. Moore said:
ssBeing interested in the study Of
geology, L happened to be on the knob
at the time, and was startled about 4
o'clock in the afternoon by fearful bel
loving. Looking some distance ahead,
I saw the animals advancing toward
each other with noses on the ground,
turning this way aud that and casting
dnst into the air with their fore feet.
When only few yards apart they sud-
denly leaped to the attack with fright
ful noise and began to gore each other
with hostile energy. Above the fierce
and noisy trampling could be heard the
grinding OF their interlocked horns and
the violent snorting of brutal rage. The
breeze blew aside the dust, and revealed
the tigerish character of the onset, as
with wide set limbs and tails curling in
the air, they charged again and again,
stabbing with their pointed horns. Tiny
streams of blood shot down their necks
and sides, while their distended nos
trils emitted q reddish foam. The
prodigious strength of the magnificent
animals thus brought into violent
activity afforded a spectacle both tnmul-
tuous and thrilling. The exertion OF
the encounter added to the pain of each
newly inflicted wound, iphamed their
combative spirit to the pitch of tenn
pestuous fury. One of the bulls, fol-
lowing up temporary advantage,
plunged his horns into the chest Of his
antagonist, and, with quick upward
jerk of the head, ripped open the flesh
to depth of several inches, while from
this gaping wound jets of arterial blood
began to squirt. In towering passion,
and with cleaning eyeballs, charging
furiously upon his adversary, the
wounded bnll drove his horns into its
abdomen, making horrible opening,
through which the entrails gushed. The
impetous and stormy nature OF the con-
test had carried the combatants to the
verge of the cliff, but blind with deadly
fury they saw no danger. Ea ,h, mortally
wounded and weakening momentally
from continued profuse loss of blood,
waged the battle with that fiendish des-
peration shown only in wounded animals.
1t was evident, however, that crisis
was near at hand. The situation had
resolved itself into the grim condition OF
the death struggle. With lowered heads
they backed away a few yards, eager,
defiant, implacable, and again couided
with force that seemed to split their
very skulls. This terrific shock staggered
the bull with the chest wound and forced
his eyeballs from their sockets. He sud-
denly plunged forward to his knees on
the brink of the precipice and remained
in a quivering stupor, with his open
mouth burrowing in the dust. The other
tottering and covered with blood, bnt
still terrible in his weakness, charged
heavily upon his kueeling and senseless
foe, struck him in the flank with the
force Of ponderous projectile and
hurled him hesdlong over the precipice.
The body executed somersault in mid
air, fell with noisy crash through the
tree tops upon the rocks below, where it
was afterward preyed upon by vultures.
The remaining bull seemed to realize IN
stupid way the danger to which he
himself was exposed. He drew back
from the brink over which his hideous
muzzle had been momentarily thrust,
and with his entrails trailing on the
ground staggered little distance of,
fell prone to the earth, rolled over on
his side, shivered moment and then
lay still in the embrace of death. The
battle lasted nearly an hour, and in point
Of sanguinary details and tragic horror
has no parallel within the limits of my
recollection.