The Delta independent., 1890-04-08
BATTLE BETWEEN BULLS.
A DESPERATE ENCOUNTER IN
WHICH BOTH ANIMALS DIE.
Their Prodigious Strength Affords .
Thrilling Spectacle.

Thomas S. Moore, well-known ana
substantial citizen of Garrard couftty,
tells . graphic story Of desperate en-
counter that occurred on the crest Of
knob Of his neighborhood few days
ago between couple of enraged bulls,
in which both were killed. The AMI
mails had wandered to these heights,
and upon sighting each other, at once
engaged i'll duel to the death. In
speaking Of the incident Mr.. Moore
said: Being interested in the study
Of geology, l happened to be on the
knob at the time, and was startled
about fot1r o'clock in the afternoon by
Q fearful believing.
Looking some distance ahead, saw
the animals advancing toward EACH
other with their noses on the ground,
turning this way and that and casting
dust into the air with their forefeet.
When only few yards apart they
suddenly leaped TO the attack with
frightful noise and began to gore each
other with frightful 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, stabbing with their
pointed horns. Tiny streams of blood
shot down their necks and sides, while
their distended nostrils emitted red
dish foam. The prodigious strength of
these magnificent animals thus brought
into violent activity afforded q specta-
Gle both tumultuous aud thrilling.
The exertion Of the encounter, sdded to
the pain of each newly inflicted wound,
inflamed their combative spirit to the
pitch of tempestuous fury. One of tho
bulls, following up temporary ad-
vantage, plunged his horns into the
chest of his antagonist, and, with a
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 a towering passion and with gleam-
ing eyeballs, charging furiously upon
his adversary, the wounded bull drove
his horns into his abdomen, making
horrible opening, through which the
entrails gushed. The impetuous and
stormy nature Of the contest had car
ried the CONTESTANTS to the verge of the
cliff, but, blind with deadly fury they
saw no danger.
Each, mortally wounded and weak
ening momentarily from profuse loss
of blood, waged the battle with that
fiendish desperation shown only in
wounded animals. The situation now
resolved itself into the grim condition
of the death struggle. With lowered
heads they backed away few yards,
defiant, implacable, and again collided
with force that seemed TO split their
very skulls. This terrific shock stag
gered the bull with the chest wound
and forced his eyeballs from their
sockets. He suddenly plunged for
ward to his knees on the brink of the
precipice and remained in quivering
stupor, with his open mouth burrow-
ing in the dust.
The other, tottering and covered
with blood, but still terrible in his
weakness, charged heavily upon his
kneeling and senseless foe, struck him
in the flank with the force of q pon-
derous projectile and hurled him head
long over the precipice. Tho body
executed somersault in mid-air, fell
with noisy crash through the tree
tops upon tho rocks below. where it
was subsequently preyed upon by vul-
lures. 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 momen-
tarily thrust, and with his entrails
trailing on the ground, staggered lit
tie distance off, fell prone, rolled over
on his side, shivered q moment, and
then lay still In death. The battle