Morning journal and courier., 1891-04-30

until their arrangements were complete. | Then, leaving the other horses and neigh | ing shrilly. he trotted straight toward the bear, which now was dragging the colt to- ward the canon. The sun, now risen, was
 burning away the fog, and the air had
 cleared enough to give me a clear view of all that was going on before me- "You'rs playing bluff,"I thought, as the stallion advanced upon the savage beast of prey. 'You'n not take any risk by getting too near that bear. If he gets hold of you it's all day with you" The bear evidently resented his ap- proach, and when the stallion came near
 he turned to face him, growling and mak- ing great show of teeth. Then when the
 steed had advanced to within few yards the bear made a swift push toward him. His movement, scramble and run of as- tonishing quickness, brought him to his object at once, but instead of turning tail | to flee, the stallion met him at a gallop and plunged straight at him, striking terrifi- | cally with his fore feet with the swiftness | and certainty of boxer in the endeavor | to trample down his enemy. The bear half rose on his launches. and, protecting
 his head as we'll as he could with his great paws, struck out in return on the defen-
 
 quick and furious that the bear WAS knocked backward under the descending hoofs; but twisting around on all fours almost under the horse he suddenly reared. and clutching each side of his opponents neck with his fore paws, pulled himself forward and caught with his teeth at the horse's throat.
 Nothing but the astonishing strength and quickness of the stallion saved him from being caught in a deadly grapple, which, once secured by the bear, could hardly have been broken. But, as if real izing that he had no show in such clinch, the horse backed away so strongly and suddenly that he broke the hold of the bear-a cruel grip-for from where was I could see the blood dripping from the stallion's fore shoulder as he eaIloped away.
 The horse lost no time in putting safe distance between himself and the bear: but then, instead of leaving his enemy in possession of the field, as I hoped he would-for thought he had no chance against such an opponent-he trotted in a wide circle around the bear, which, with bristling hair, stood on his guard, turning his head to follow his assailant's move ments with O vigilant watch. He under stood the situation better than I did, for the stallion, after describing several cir cles, suddenly made for the bear in the same manner AS before, striking with his fore feet, and even making as if he would | tear at him with his teeth But in spite of the fury of the attack and the tramp ling hoofs, the bear at last worked his way as before to firm hold of the neck and shoulders of his gallant enemy. "You won't get away so easily this time," I said to myself as the stallion backed away with frantic energy, dragging behind him over the ground the gray, shaggy beast at his throat But finally he tore himself clear, bleeding freely, and leaving tattered bunch of his mane in the bears paw, as he dashed once more safe from that terrible clutch.
 As I watched this exciting duel with breathiess interest my sympathies natural ly were all with the horse. Each time that they had come to close quarters had raised my rife to send shot into the bear but had restrained myself when thought of the utter hopelessness of the situation for me, and my own horse, tied and help less, if the bear should turn upon me- The bear had got some hard hits from the stsllion's hoofs, and saw that while still on the watch he was working his way nearer the edge of the ravine- He contin- ued to back away until he got to the fallen colt. There he stopped and stood over his prey with his face to the foe, as if de-
 termined to protect his booty at all haz- | ards.
 There was more fighting on hand for him to do, for with 8 squeal of rage and l a fury of speed that have never seen | equslled, the stallion came down once | more upon him. As rearing he plunged
 at his shaggy antagonist one of his sharp hoofs landed fairly upon the bears nose, | and at the distance of one hundred and l fifty yards away I could hear distinctly | the sound of the concussion upon the
 bone in the most sensitive point of the
 bear, where a heavy blow tells and is lia-
 ble even to be fatal. As the stroke landed
 the bear went over on his back helpless l for the moment, and the stallion trampled over his body under such headwsy that he
 did not stop until he had gone to a point
 a dozen yard beyond.
 Whirling again in the very ecstasy of l fury the wild horse came once again at the
 bear, which had gained his feet and was
 crawling toward the canod He struck at him once with his fore hoofs: then sud
 denly whirling he planted his fore legs 1 against the ground at an angle of forty | five degrees, and backing toward the re- 1 treating animal, let fly a succession of
 kicks with terrific force and swiftness. I could hear the trumpet blows resound
 upon the bears body as if they would
 break the bones wherever they fell, and
 every time they landed the bear, now thor
 oughly demoralized, gave a grooming yell
 of pain; once he was knocked clean of his
 feet for second time and sent prostrate
 on his side. But he regained his feet, and
 made the best of his way, powerfully as-
 sisted from behind, toward the canon's
 brink.
 Followed all the way by these launch
 ing heels the bear scrambled, and was
 kicked to the edge of the ravine, which he
 seemed pleased to reach and down which
 he plunged with eager willingness. Just
 as his body rounded the brink the stall
 lions hind hoofs landed solidly, knocking
 him heels over head, so that he rolled like
 ball down the steep, rocky sides to the
 very bottom.
 The stallion paused at the edge of the
 ravine, snorting defiance at his foe, then
 described a great circle on the prairie, cur
 voting and neighing as he ran around the
 mares.
 The Wreck of the Carrick. From the London Standard.l