San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1890-02-26
A DESPERATE STRUGGLE.
SAVED BY A BRAVE OUTLAW FROM
AN INFATUATED BULL

rifle Charges of the Mad Brute-Felt
Sure lie Was Doomed-A Magnificent
| Exhibition of Horsemanship.
Mr.. Charles Dawson, well known stock
man of this vicinity, reports a singular and
well nigh fatal adventure which befell him In
the valley of the Franklin mountains, lying
north of this place Your correspondent
calling on him learned the following particu-
lars which he gives in Mr.. Davison's own
words:
| had ridden out to a ranch owned by a
man named Blake, about twenty miles from
| my place, for the purpose of looking at lot
of imported sheep he had for sale, and was
returning when met Mexican with a bro
| ken arm hobbing along the road, who told
me that a bull had charged him the day be-
| fore and flung him into water hole, break
! ing his arm and bruising him severely all
| over. The bull was u wild one from the
mountains, and dangerously savage from
| some cause.
DANGEROUS SITUATION.
| The Mexican warned me that he was
| doubtless still in the nelghbOrhOOd, and that
| it would stand me in hand to keep a lookout
| for him. ] had ridden mile or two when |
| dismounted to drink of little running
| stream | had reached, and TO eat my lunch
| My horse | left standing without taking the
| prrrauton of tying him, though without I'M
Sad,lling him. He was young mustang, as
| nervous as a woman, and, without any APP
| parent cause that could discover, threw up
| his head all of a sudden and broke down the
| valley i'll a mad gaIlop, carrying, of course,
| my saddle with my belt containing my pis-
| tolls, which | had rather fOolishly removed
| from my waist an hour or two before, and
hung from the horn of my saddle.
There was nothing for it but to follow the
| horse on foot, so off l put in as bad humor as
| you can imagine for | was already fatigued
| by my long ride. and a tramp of perhaps
miles was anything but inviting | trudged
| on for an hour or two, until my feet were
cut and bIiStered 10y the sharp rocks, and
| had sat down to rest near a Clump of cot
ton"OoI q G,5, o..s y" sroat siZc a.! - rest
| of them mere saplingS. At that moment
| heard loud roar and a crash in a bush be-
| hind me, and out rushed at terrific pace
| large bull, charging straight at me- | had
| only just time to throw myself to one side
| fiat on the ground as he Numbered by me-
| My next move was to make for the clump of
cOttOnwOods, which | succeeded in reaching
| just as the bull turned again My hat had
| fallen to the earth as | ran, and this the
animal now attacked with ferOcty and
maddenel rage that showed how little mercy
would be shown the man when his turn came
Having torn the hat to pieces with horns
and hOOfs, and having Smeed me out, he
commenced a circuit round the trees, stamp
ing, paving and believing frightfully. With
his bloOdShot eyes and long, sharp horns he
looked like demon. | was quite unarmed
having, by some unlucby chance, neglected to
put in my knife in leaving home, and my
pistols, us | said before being in my saddle
and | was weared unto death. The situation
was a desperate one, and my only chance con-
sisted in lodging the bull round the trees I'M
til he should be tired out, and this was, in
deed, faint hope, for the animal seemed
fresh and warranted to outlast the strength
Of ten men. The bull charged again and
again, sometimes coming against the tree
with such force that he fell on his knees,
sometimes bending the saplings behind which
| stood until his horns almost reached me-
There was not a branch of the one large tree
low enough for me TO seize and climb up, and
| had no time in which to scale it between the
bulls charges.
How long this awful game of touch
wood" lasted cannot tell, TOR after the first
excitement of self preservation passed off
wearincsS again took possession of me, and 1t
required all the instinct and love of life in me
to keep me on my feet. Several times the bull
left me for few seconds, pacing suddenly
away, believing his malignant discomfort Of
my refusal to come forth and be trampled
and gored to death, but before | could cross
over to a better position he always came
back at full speed. My tongue began to
cleave to the roof of my mouth, my eyes
grew hot and misty, my knees trembled I'M
der me, while ringing i'll my ears warned
me that nature was exhausted. and | felt it
impossible 10 hold out until dark.
TIE RESCUE
At length | grew desperate, and determined
TO make a run for the opposite covert the
moment the bull turned from me again. |
felt sure | was doomed, and thought of it
until | actually began to welcome the idea of
its ending in any way. The bull seemed to
know | was worn out. and grew more rapid
and fierce in his charges, but just when | was
going to sit down under the great tree and
let him do his worst, heard the rattle of
horse among the rocks above, and a shout
that sounded like the voice of an angel. Then
came the barking of a dog and the loud re-
ports of stock whip, but the bull with his
devilish eyes fixed on me, never moved. Up
came a horseman at full speed, and crack fell
the lash on the bulls black hide, while the
blood spurted out in a long streak. The ami
NAL turned savagely and charged the horse
man, believing with Qstonshed rage and
pain, but the horse wheeled round Just
enough 70 battle him-no more-and again
the lash descended, cutting like a long fexi-
BILE razor; but the Infatuated bull was not to