Juniata sentinel and Republican. [volume] (Mifflintown, Juniata County, Pa.) 1873-1955, 1891-06-10
A HARD STRUGGLE.
Saved by an Outlaw From an Infuriated
Bull
Dodging Behind Trees to Escape the Ter.
rife Charges Of the Mad Brute-Felt Sure
He Was Doomed-Magnifcent Exhibition
Of Horsemanship

he was ooomoo AkBn nlncont Exniplton
Of Horsemanship
/ had ridden out to a ranch saws a
Texas correspon dent to the Atlanta
constitution and was returning when /
met Mexican with a broken arm hob
bling along the road, who told me that
a bull had charged him the day before
and flung him into a water hole, break
ing his arm and bruising him severely
all over.
The Mexican warned me that the bull
was doubtless still in the neighbor-
hood and that it would stand me in
hand to keep Il lookout for him. 1 had
ridden a mile or two when aismount-
ed to drink Of little running stream |
had reached and to eat my lunch. My
horse l left standing without taking
the precaution of tying him, though
without unsaddling him. He was q
young mustang, as nervous as wo-
man, and without any apparent cause
that / could discover threw up his
head all Of sudden and broke down
the valley in a mad gallop, carrying
of course, my saddle. with my belt con :
tanning my pistols, 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 1t but to fol-
low the horse on foot so off / put in
as bad humor us you can imagine, for
l was already fatigued by my long
ride, and a tramp of perhaps miles
was anything but inviting. 1 trudged
on for an hour or two, until my feet
were cut and blistered by the sharp
rocks, and had sat down to rest near
a clump of cottonwood trees. one of
great size, and the rest of them mere
saplings. At that moment | heard a
loud roar and a crash in bush be-
hind me, and out rushed at terrific
pace large bull, charging straight at
me. i had only just time to throw my
self to one side fat on the ground as
he Numbered by me. My next move
was TO make for the clump of cotton
woods, 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
n ferocity and maddened rage that
showed how little mercy would be
shown the man when his turn came.
Having torn the hat 10 pieces with
horns and hoofs, and having smelled
me out, he commenced a circuit arou I'd
the tree, stamping. paving and bel
lowing frightfully. With his blood
shot eyes and long, sharp horns he
/ looked like demon. l was quite I'M
armed, having by some unlucky chance
neglected to put in my knife in leav-
ing home, and my pistols, as | said
before, being in my saddle, and | was
wearied unto death. The situation
was desperate one, and my only
chance consisted in lodging the bull
round the tree until he should be
tired out and this was indeed a 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 sap
lings behind which | stood until his
horns almost reached me. There was
not brsnch~Of the one large tree low
enough for me to seize and climb up,
and | had no time i'm which to scale it
between the bulls charges.
How long this awful game of touch
wood lasted | cannot tell, for after
the first excitement OF self-preserva-
tion passed off WEAKNESS again took
possession of me, and it required all
the instinct and love of life in me to
keep me on my feet Several times the
bull left me for a few seconds, pacing
suddenly away, believing his malig-
nant discomfort of my refusal to come
forth and be trampled and gored to
death, but before l could cross 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 un-
der me, while ringing in my ears
warned me that nature was exhausted
and | felt il impossible to hold out un-
til dark.
At length l grew desperate, aud de-
termined to make run for the oppo-
site covert the moment the bull turn
ed from me. felt sure was doomed,
and thought of it until actually be-
gan to welcome the idea OF its ending G
| 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 a horse among the
rocks above, and shout that sounded
like the voice of an angel Then came
the barking of a dog and the loud re-
ports OF a stock whip but the bull.
with his devilish eyes fixed on me new
er moved. Up came horseman at full
speed, and crack fell the lash on the
bulls black hide, while the blood
spurted out in long streak. The an
imal turned savagely and charged the
horseman, believing with astonished
rage and pain, but the horse wheeled
round just enough TO battle him
no more-and again the lash descend
ed, cutting like a long flexible razor
| but the infuriated bull was not 80 be
beaten off with a whip-he charged
again and again. But he had met his
| match, for right and left, as needed,
the wiry Spanish mare turned some
times on her hind, sometimes on her
fore legs. 1t was the most magnilican'
Exhibition of equestrianism | ever saw,
and | actually forgot my fatigue and
lexhaustion as ! watched 1t.
My rescuer now shouted something
leaped from his horse and strobe for
ward TO meet the oull with an open
knife between his teeth Az the beast
lowered his head to charge, he seemed
to catch him by the horns There
was a struggle, cloud OF dust a
stamping like two strong men wrest-
| ling. / could not see clearly, but the
next moment the bull wss on his
back, with the blood yelling from his
throat and the limbs quivering IN
death. The stranger, covered with
dust and blood, came up to me then,
saying, apparently as unconscious oI
triumph as If he had been killing a
| calf in a slaughter-house, Hes dead
enough now, sir; he won't trouble
any body any more"
/ walked two or three PAGES toward
the dead beast, when my senses failed
me and i tainted. When | came To
myself my horse was standing near
me, tied to bush, and my strange
rescuer had Withdrawn a few feet and
| was watching me intently. ] went up
to him, and thanking him for the SER
vice rendered me inquired the name
| - hin, 20 whom 7 owed NV life He