Freeland tribune. (Freeland, Pa.) 1888-1921, 1891-02-19
BULL AGAINST PANTHER.
Terrific Combat Witnessed by q
Herder in New Mexico.

A stockman employed on the Willow
Creek Ranch, lying few miles south of
Tula Rosa, New Mexico, reports an in
teresting combat between a bull and q
panther, which he witnessed recently
while herding cattle in the fertile
valley of the Rio Pecos. The panther
was large one of the species known as
gray jumbos, from their size and mouse
colored fur, and had been seen some days
before skulkiDg about the corral, but had
made off on being fired at.
Early one morning, however, the
herder was awakened by stampede
among some cows, with young calves,
which were confined in pen few hun
dred yards from his cabin, and seizing
his gun he ran to the spot, only to find
that all of the cows and calves, with the
exception of one of each, had broken out
and were galloping wildly away The
COW left was believing piteously, and the
calf, which had fallen to the earth, borne
down by long, little body nearly COW
ering it, was feebly moaning.
But before the herder could be upon
the panther, which on its approach had
raised its head and snarled, he saw
bull coming plungiug into the pen. He
made straight for the panther, and with
single push of his horns lifted it from
the calf, and, as the cat touched the
ground, attacked it with his hoof, rear
ing up and striking with his fore feet
force. The panther flew at the bull as
soon as it could right itself, and caught
him by the throat, only to be thrown to
one side by toss of his blunt head,
which then attacked it with the pointed
horns, which tore the fur and flesh till
the ground was covered with blood.
The panther, screaming with fury, re-
turned to the charge whenever the pum-
melting it received allowed it to regain
its footing for a moment. The bulls
head and muzzle were torn and scratched
fearfully by his antagonists powerful
claws, which essayed agaiu and again to
cling to him, only to be thrown off as
lightly as a man might throw child
The herder WAS afraid to fire upon the
panther, so rapid were the attacks and
counter attacks, and the bull proving
more than match for the gray jumbo,
he thought it best to let them fight it out
together. The panther made several at
tempts at last to break and run, but the
bull was on it before it could escape
from the pen, and with hoofs and horns
struck at lit furiously. The cat struggled
violently, but weakened by the blood
streaming from every part of the body,
and thrown here and there at the mercy
of its powerful foe, was evidently dying,
when the bull, rushing upon it, lifted it
high on his horns and threw it against
the fence encirclng the pen, where it
lay quiet, and when examined proved to
have had its neck broken.
Even then the bull could not let it go,
but hauled and tossed it about the yard
for some time, stamping it until bones
and flesh were reduced to a jelly; but at
last, tired of his sport, he trotted off to
rejoin the herd The calf was found to
have had its back broken by the panther
leaping on it, and beneath its throat was
a torn, jagged wound, from which the
gray jumbo had been engaged in drain
ing its blood when the bull arrived on
the scene.