The morning news., 1892-03-11
NkCK AND NECK.
Two South African CRATES Engage in
Desperate Battle for Lead srship.

Desperate Battle for Lead srship.
From ute London Graphic.
To the south and eastward OF Lobenguia's
capital is situated Macalaca Land. Il was
| conquered by that doughty mouarch's
father Mosilikatze, and still remains sub
servient to the Matabelss. The approx
mate position OF my camp at the time I
witnessed the scene / will endeavor to de-
serbs was latitude 81 s)uth, Longitude see
| east.
The country surrounding me was marvel
ously attractive, although only sand, very
sparsely covered with bush, therefore to-
tally useless for agricultural or pastoral
| purposes, but through the fiat veldt's sur
face. at irregular intervals, rose copies Of
immense blocks OF stone, piled one upon the
| other that resembled the debris that might
have been left after Titans had buile a gi-
gantic city OF mammoth fortificatior.
These eruptions from beneath the earth's
surface were covered with parasitic plants,
| decorated with most attractive fruit or gor-
geous blossoms. A species Of aloe, too, was
numerous, the upright stem which bears its
Hover having very striking resemblance
to civilizations unfightly telegraph poles.
This country is not destitute Of water, as
Is attesied by the numbers Of balloons,
monkeys and leopards that frequent the
copies and TIE antelopes, Eebras and guinea
| the indigenous bushmen know where to find
this necessity Of life, but theIe astute savages
carefully concealed their secret from me and
my people. / was riding slowly along ad-
mirlng the beautiful coiors of this distant
, landscape. In close attendance was my
Mascara guide. My reverie was broken by
an unknown sonud, which echoed and re-
echoed from the surrounding crags. 1t was
not the honest bark OF the babooD, or the
reverberating voice of the lion,
or the hyenas discordant laugh,
but a combination of all Of
them, uttered in quick. successive gasps.
On inquiry OF my follower be informed me
that kameels tgiraffes) were the originators
/ OF the unknown sound. The Mascara
begged me to follow him. This did, and
80 became witness Of one Of the most ex-
traoFdinarY sights In wild life that had
ever seen. Those who have dwelt in the
distant eas5 have doubtless seen male camels
| fight and noted with what obstinacy, power
and viciousnsss they try TO MAIN or disable
one another; how they shrek with rage
| over each advantage that they obtain, and
yell with pain when they are severely hurt.
giraffe duel much resembles a oamel's, as
will be seen from what proceed to state.
The rivals we're not we'll matched-the
taller was out of condition aud very old; the
other was In splendid form and In the prime
Of life. concluded that fight was immi-
1
would be the victor. They roared Ia unison,
as If each were trying to drown the others
voice; sometimes this would cease for few
| moments and then begin again with re-
newed strength.
Presently the belligerenps came within a
few yards of each other. Then commenced
a scene that battles all description. Some
people might cali it ludiorous; it was far
more, 1t was side-splitting, and but for my
desire to see the end l must have given way
TO convulsions Of laughter. Although the
| giraffe possesses certain beauty when at
rest 1t loses lis grace when In motion, and
| the greater its speed the more ungainly does
| it appear. But when two mature bulls be-
gin to waltz and dance violently around
each other, each endea voring to outdo the
other in agility, at the same time
mumbling their jaws and emitting fear
fully discordant roars, it is certainly one of
the most absurd sights human eye ever
looked upon. | have often seen a Graue
dance-a function common enough north of
the Vaal river; it is moro than funny-it is
| ridiculous-bUt cannot for an Instant be
compared to the antics OF these two mann
moth brutes. Their great height, added to
the grotesQueness of their bshevior, but
even If the beasts had been no bigger than
goats or sheep the absurd manner in which
they swung about their feet, contorted
their bodies and swayed their heads must
We lay hidden and quiet while the rivals
were getting closer and closer to each other.
At length. when they were nearly within
| striking distance, simultaneously each
| dropped upon his knees and commenced to
twist and twine his long neck about that of
the other, with the evident purpose of seiz-
ing his adversary's throat. This lasted
several minutes but both were s'-'lled of
fence" and ultimately relinquished tnis style
of fighting and adopted other tactics. They
began rearing as if to bear each other down.
| their mouths all the time open TO grip il op-
portunity occurred. At length the
violent exercise began to tell upon the
elder beast; he made some mistake in a
| parry and the younger seiZed with his
teeth the foot Of the veteran. who in return
laid hold OF his opponents ear. For some
moments there was pause. 1t was very
| brief, and then the struggle was renewed
| With a gigantic effort the youhger giraffe
threw the old hero upon his hauIchss. He
| looked very much as IL he had played his
last card, but there was pluck IN his aged
| heart yet. though the battle was not for
him, years told against him and victory lay
with the younRster, who celebrated it by
| trying to drag the vanquished after him.
| This operation must have been painful, for
the shrieks that the defeated warrior ut
tered were heartrending.
After final worry, the hero OF the hour
/ WdIK6Q OH, U1ODDeQ LD0 Two hdreIQS laQl6s
together, and, willingly followed by all,
took the lead Not one Of the zenane Of the
fallen chief turned head for an instant to
see what had become of him. fear it is
much the same among our own race as it is
among the inferior animals.
The veteran finally tried to pull himself
together, but he was dreadfully knocked
about, as well as very lame. With anxious
eyes he gazed In the direction the herd had
| taken possibly wishing to follow or with
| q hope that one of his wives at least would
return to him. Not go; the poor old fellow
was doomed to disappointment, aud ap-
peared to realize that he was deserted. The
life before him knew would be one of mis-
cry; therefore, what better could / do but
raise my rife, glance along my sight and
send bullet through his heart. II was a