Thomas County cat. [volume] (Colby, Kan.) 1885-1891, 1888-09-27

the fierce contest would be renewed
with increased fury. The bears olsen
gagged hin0 leg plowed the sand deeply
as he en6eavored to stop the turtles
progress waterward. while his fore
paws clawed the loggerhead mad
", vainly trying TO find sQWe
| vulnerable spot, for judging by
his angry growing and the des-
| perate efforts he made to release his
leg from the reptiles grip. the turtle
was holding on for keeps. By sud-
den push and powerful muscular eff
fort Of his head and paws. bruin man
aged to get the turtle half-set, one side
being raised foot or so. Pursuing
his advantage, he seized one of the
turtles big flippers in his jaws. and
the snap that followed showed that
bruin felt that things were evening up.
The old loggerhead plainly didn't like
the change of tactics, for its free flip
pers moved like the fan of a thrashing
machine. Its big body plunged from
side to side, while it scattered the sand
in showers all around. as it tried to
throw off its big antagonist. The bear
was dragged around considerably by
the turtles movements, and the pain
in his imprisoned leg evidently put him
in very bad humor. He kept chew
ing the turtles ripper and endeavoring
to get the latter Overthrown. The old
turtle worked around and finally got in
a stroke with its sharp claw that badly
ripped the bears under side. This in
furiated bruin so much that he let 60
his grip on his antagonists ripper,
and, reaching his head down, tried to
reach and free his hind leg. But he
made a bad mistake. and the fighting.
mad loggerhead quickly improved his
opportunity. As bruins nose came
within reach he let 60 the les. and,
quick as fash, fastened his iron grip on
the bears jaw. The boys say that
then ensued a circus. The bear was
thoroughly taken by surprise, and he
roared Justify with pain and rage. The
turtle pushed on and dragged his un-
willing captive along. The latter saw
his danger and felt it. too, for they
were so near the waters edge that the
waves splashed over them. The com.
bat continued at this point for several
seconds, it was plainly to be seen that
both were pretty well tuckered out,
and either would have been willing to
cry quits. But neither dared let go.
The loggerhead dragged him along,
and finally had him in water knee
deep. Here he had things more his
own way. The waves coming in
dashed the bear about so that he main.
tanned his footing with difficulty. He
frantically danced about endeavoring
to get free, and using his terrible
claws all he could, but the turtles coat
of mail proved impenetrable. Bruins
strength now began to fail, and his big
foe took advantage of every relaxation
of his efforts to escape. Slowly the
turtle worked his way out into deeper
water, his flippers helping him won
derfully in his native element. A
shelving rock or side was soon gained,
and there the last struggle took place.
The turtle, half covered with water,
was raised time and again foot or SO
by the frantic struggles of the partially
drowned bear, whose head was kept
under the water longer and longer each
time. 1t was plain to be seen now that
the bear was doomed. After few
minutes longer of the struggle. as the
bear rested a moment, the turtle
plunged off into deep water, dragging
his prey under. As the bear went
down his hind legs kicked convulsively,
but in a very feeble way. The watch
ers of this ferociOus encounter waited
for an hour or so to see if the body of
the bear would be released. but nothing
came up. The next day, however. the
fragments of the beast washed ashore,
mutilated and cut all to pieces.
These fights between turtles and
bears are very common, say the fisher
men who know these keys. They often
find the dead bodies of the two animals
where they have died, locked in a
fierce embrace. If the bear can turn
the turtle so as to feast on its soft, un-
protected belly. the loggerheadi is gone.
but for so huge reptile it can move
surprisingly fast. Its iron-like mandi-
bles have tremendous power of hold
ing on. and nothing can break it. II
bruin or any other attacking animal
once gets within their grip, the combat
is not SO much one-sided in their favor
as one would think by seeing these big
moving mounds of flesh.
An Old Fashion Revived,