The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1892-05-06
FIGHTING WITH A sAsooN.
A Mans Desperate Hand to Hand BATH
with n Monster Anthropoid.

n n an desperate n anu 70 hAuo DShAf1
with Monster Anthropoid.
Twas walking through my lands and
had my gun with me, and the balloons
were screaming on the top of the rocky
p-ecipice that overhangs my homestead
The dogs in the farmyard, on hearing
rushed up TO the mountain and were
soon engaged in a deadly fight. l took
up my gun and climbed up the noun
tain for the purpose of assisting the
dogs and in the hope of saving them
from being torn to pieces. When !
reached the summit Of the krantz a
number of balloons fed. i fred and
wounded one in the shoulder; he was
Immediately pursued and tackled by the
only dog left, the others having been
torn to pieces. The struggle for life OF
death was taking place between the
wounded baboon and the dog on the
very brink of precipice. had not an
other cartridge for my gun, so / put IT
down and picked up a couple OF large
stones and walked to within a few
yards of the spot.
was just in the act Of hurting one OF
them at the balloon when suddenly
tremendous male baboon, the largest ]
have seen, came straight at me in bold
and defiant manner, his eyes cleaning
with anger and his huge jaws working
together as if in anticipation Of the
crunching that was in store for me. j
Just had time to hurl the stone IN my
now appraised hand at him when he was
upon me. He seized me by the leg first
and bit me with such violence that !
thought every bone in my leg was
smashed TO atoms. | kicked with all
my might, tried to get hold Of a stone,
attempted to seize him by the throat,
dealt him several blows with the fist,
but it was all useless; the strength OF
the enraged African mandrl oyerpow-
cred me completely.
After he had finished with my leg he
raised himself on his hind legs, put his
arm around me and seized hold of me on
the chest with his powerful jaws. What
could do: Every now and then he let
go his hold of my breast and snapped at
nv throat. | seized him by the throat
with nv right hand and chnched my
fingers, but he would not yield his grasp
for single moment. Every time !
moved he dragged me nearer to the edge
of the precipice, and we were now with
in three feet Of the brink and the ground
sloping down to it. knew that if for
a moment lost my footing down We
should 90 into the chasm hlow. The
wounded baboon and the dog. that were
responsible for the awful predicament IN
which l now found myself. had just
rolled over into the abyss. We hsd been
at it nearly an hour. and as the baboon
showed no signs OF releasing me felt
should not be able to hold out much
longer, as am an old man, considerably
over sixty.
At this stage bethought myself Of
penknife had IN my waistcoat pocket
If could only get 1t out / might ward
him of by stabbing him in the face.
gradually got my left hand into my
pocket and got the knife, the brute
scratching and tearing my face with his
hands all the while. got it to my
mouth and held il thsre till had an
opportunity Of opening it with my left
hand then began stabbing and prod
ding him, but the knife vas not large
enough TO do him much damage. drew
blood, however, the sight Of which only
made him more vicious still By this
time I had scarcely vestigs Of clothing
left, and my lacerated body bore tokens
Of what q south African baboon can do
when he chooses TO tackle and fight a
unarIned NAN.
Twas wondering how all this was go
ing TO end, when one OK the dogs that
had been wounded in the hght and had
recovered sufficiently 20 make his way
TO where we were seized tbs animal
from behind. Ifelt the brute wished 70
get al the dog. lie threw himself from
me upon the dog: they had one rough
and tumble, and then the baboon walked
sullenly away along the ridge Of the
precipice. looking back from time 70
time as IL undecided whether ne should
renew the attack IL was some time BE-
fore could recover sufficient strength
70 descend the mountain got home,
however, and the dog. TOO, after a. en-
counter such a. / shall never forget, and
the ike Of which / hope never 20 exps-
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