The Daily times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1886-1889, 1888-04-11
ner 70 come ON. sailed I'm at the same

|
moment, and | tell Won they made Oh
bruin hustle around pretty lively Tor Il
| while The three yarmints rolled over
and over on the ground in heap, strug-
Cling. biting, roaring and Clawing away
at each other like mad demons. First one
party seen ed 10 be getting the best OF the
fight and then the other. The lions Were
on top most OF the time. however Tor the
silver tip seemed 20 think he would stahd
n better show il he kept down Oh ms pack
and fought with all four Of his paws NJ
liberty. The way he worked those paws
was a caution. Once or twice during the
first few minutes the lions came IN Tor
vicious scrapes that ripped long red
pashes in their hides, and they backed OIL
a few paces and uttered dismal hOwls, as
thourh bewailing their hurts. This gave
the old bear "A chance to pull himself to-
octber and he stood up and wcaved back
and forth aud moaned, sorrowiul Ike, ~
/ though lie would heap rather see his as
eailauts turn around and walk of Than
come at him again This was in the carly
stage Of the fight, before the bear had
properly got bis mad mp.
II was q pretty even match, considering
everything. 4 mountain lion can walk
| all around a bear for quickness, ana two
Of them together are able To make things
MIGHTY uncomfortable for almost any Kind
of an animal. But, on the other side
! their hides are right smart tenderer than
/ a bears, with no wool to speak Of, and an
old silver tip has more lives than dozen
mountain lions.
! After snarling and grinning at each other
awhile "wor-r-r-r' quow-r-r! psssssl
/ spit! yeaow-r-rl whoof zippp,. they
| were at it again, the bear down on his
back a-thrashiug and swapping like mad
to stand the lions off. The lions. how
ever, badly lacerated as they were in the
first two rounds, seemed determined 10
chew the bear up. They few at him
like twin furies, biting and tearing away
with such demoniacal ferocty that
more than one guttuaal CIV iuvoluD-
tarily escaped Long Dog S lips Is We lay
| there and looked on Ten minutes after
the commencement it became very evident
that the fight couldn't last much longer
The skin Of one Of the lions let side was
hanging in ribbons, and tho other one
seemed TO have half its face torn away.
Owing 10 the bears heavy coat it showed
up at this stage Of the struggle a heap
perter than the lions; but, all the same,
10 was dyed from head 10 tail with its own
blood. All three were becoming some
what weaker from the loss OF blood, but
the silver tip was by far the likeliest look
ing animal Of the three. As the fight
progressed he got madder than a hornet
all through, aud instead OF weaving and
moaning when the lions drew of for 4
breathing spell, he took to chasing them
around. The lions kept clear Of him I'M
til they got good and ready TO waltz in
and on him again, when they made the fur
hy for all their teeth and claws were
worth.
When the lions drew Off for the fourth
time, one of them had his belly ripped
open and his entrails were dragging on
the ground. He soon got so weak that he
couldn't keep ont of the old bears reach.
! The silver tip fetched him a savage swipe
over the head that tore away the scalp.
lie then flung himself on the helpless lion
ana finished him upin fine burst of say
age fury
The bear was now boss Of the field but
he was growing so weak that he fairly
staggered az ne moved off after the other
lion. This eritter had got all the bear
fight he wonted for one dose, and was
plainly Oh the point OF clearing out He
didn't seem 10 understand that his part
ner was a goner, though, and he sat down
OH his launches out Of the bears reach,
as though expecting the other one TO join
him
"Ughr' said Long Dog "now kill"
Bang bang Long Dog bowled over
the surviving lion, and | tOppled over the
bear We then strobe out upon the field
OF battle and took in the slaughter pen.
The old silver tip staggered to his feet as
we moved out Of cover, but IL was all he
| could do; another shot laid him out for
good We examined the carcasses with a
good deal of curiosity 10 see which had
Jared the worst There wasn't much 10
choose between them. after ALL Beneath
the fur there was hardly an inch OF sound
hide on the bears body. One OF his eyes
was torn ont, and his tongue was bitten
completely in two. lie would have died,
probably in less than half IN hour if we
hadn finished him of
AS | said, in comparing it with the
moonlight scrmmagc among the grizzlies
at the head waters Of the Rosebud, think
this was little bit the prettiest fight
ever saw in the Rockies barring none -
nj