St. Paul daily globe., 1889-01-12
FIGHT TO THE DEATH.
Two Cuyamaca Bucks Meet and Lock
Horns in Deadly Combat.
THE FAITHLEsS DOES.
An Indignant Hunters Vain Effort to
Avenge the Murdered Mon
arch.

| San Francisco Examiner.
Il witnessed a singular fight not long
since," said Gen. Whitney yesterday to
an Examiner man who had asked him
| some questions relative to stalking
| deer.
| ''There were several of us who had
been back in the CuyamacaS deer hunt
| ing for ten days, and we had pretty
| good sport. Late one afternoon | wan
dered off from the camp alone, my
thoughts causing me to stroll aimlessly
through the scrub pine and down into
the valley near little stream where
several days before we had killed fine
| buck and doe that had come to their
usual watering place. had no thought
| of hunting when left the camp, and
| had no arms with me save my hunting
! knife. valuable Price which was
made for my father some years since in
this city. Near the stream / spoke of a
| moment ago there is grassy plot of
| about three or four acres, and twenty
| or thirty large trees that would do
/ Calaveras proud grow in and around
| this little marsh and form sort of nat
ural rendezvous for the numbers Of deer
| that inhabit certain sections of Lower
California.
II came to the spot. and, STOPPING
| down, took long draught of water.
While | had my head bent down in the
stream | caught the impatient stamp of
the feeding deer, and heard the unmis-
taxable little Wheezy cough they some
times give while eating. | cautiously
withdrew behind one of the large trees
i'm my close neighborhood and stole a
glance over in the direction of the
sound. There were three does, peg
buck and the pater familias, with a
pair of antlerS that made my hunts
mans instinct almost too strong to keep
| me quiet. | crouched behind the tree
and took off my hat, divided between
iterest in their movements-filled with
quick impetuOuS grace-and my desire
to communicate with the camp in some
manner. l very Sensibly concluded
that as they were browsing over in my
direction. that any movement on my
part would simply stampede them, and
satisfied myself as well as [ could in
observing their movements.
II watched them as they slowly ap-
preached the small spring stream, nib
bling at each blade OF grass, and [
counted the big bucks prongs over and
over. until | knew every wrinkle on the
fine fellows antlers- | noticed, with a
painful longing for my rifle, how fat
and saucy he looked around the rump,
and that his coat was as sleek as velvet.
| also observed that his neck was much
smaller, sure sign that he would be a
bad man to corner just at present, when
he was surrounded by his little family,
every member of which looked up to
him for protection in case of all attack.
''The peg was as smooth as silk and
as pretty as picture, while the does,
with their broad, fiat tails and their
shining coats, long, slender limbs and
that, without my gun, felt it would be
a sacrilege to wantonly disturb.
Il had watched them many moments,
as they gradually approached my hid
ing place, when suddenly L saw
the buck throw back his head, look
down toward the entrance to the little
valley, through which the funneled
wind was blowing, and then shake his
mighty antlerS and stamp his small feet
alternately with an iInpatience that
could not understand. The peg and
the does grouped themselves close
around him and looked over in the di-
rection he was signing to with an evil
dent uneasineSS. lfelt trifie the same
way myself. for l did not know what
big game might be coming down the
canon: something that might, perhaps
prefer meal on my fairly dry bones to
the jucier deer meat.
'The sun was just about setting, and
its last rays were falling full in the en-
trance to the valley, when there lOped
into sight another buck. equal in every
point, save of attendance. to the fat
fellow | had been admiring. Buck No.
/ stood rigid and erect as he came in
sight, and blew out on the still air a
snort of defiance that checked No. 2,
who had not seen him, almost as effect
ually as if l had turned loose my forty
eight rifle on him. He stopped per-
fectly still, slightly thrown back on his
launches, viewed the situation mo-
ment with sort of mild inquiry: grad
ually raised his head. until finally his
antlers nearly touched bis smooth back,
then lowered it quickly almost to the
ground. jerked 1t up with a splendid
contempt, and blew back an answering
snort of defiance.
"Thedoes gathered close togethere
and stole surreptitious glances of adj
miration at the intruder, who, with
lowered sconce, advanced toward his
challenger. L felt my pulses tingling at
these signs of combat, as felt pretty
sure there was going to be fight.
Number one stood his ground as num-
Der two advanced, until lie was within
about twenty PAGES, then he stepped
out on the plain of battle, bristling like
a wild boar. AS he stepped out the in
TT ruding buck paused for while to
measure his foe. They gazed on each
other angrily for moment, and then
made mutual rush, coming together
with shock that made the little valley
ring with its force. L almost imagined
them, for they fell on their knees
fifteen good PAGES apart. They did
not remain in that position long. They
were up and at it again in trice. They
fought with ferocity that have never
seen equaled. [ could hear every lick
as it was delivered. sometimes OH the
side, sometimes OH the rump, and when
lick was parried on the horns it
sounded like dropping load OF fish
bars on stone pavement. Such vic
iOus lungeS you never saw. The vel
vety coats were torn and ripped from
wiIhers to rump, and blood was running
from side as we'll as mouth and nostrlls.
Down would go a head, and an upper
cut would fall prone upon the stomach
that | thought must be fatal. Bang
would go whole forest of horns into a
side, and number one or two would fall
upon the ground, while quick as light |
ming the I'D deer would slash at his fall |
len adversary with his sharp front teeth,
cutting like knife.
''The does and the peg stood by as
immOvable as the big trees, save now
and then they would open their lips and
give piteous beat as their champion
would get worsted in the fight. Buck
No. 2 fought with grim determine
tinn To ShnW that the odds of favor