Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1892-01-22
IT WAS A BATTLE ROYAL.
A Mountain Lion and Cinnamon Bear In
al IN Tho naa Nh
[Ontario Observer.l

[Ontario Observer
Last week in the light of the moon two
brothers. old prospectors and hunters who
have been in the hills for years and have
seen many strange and startling sights, re-
port having seen one of the most thrilling
and desperate fights they have ever wit
messed.
They were camping in a canon that
comes into the main San Antonio Canon
from the west. abont one and one halt
miles below the miners camp. They had
been out during the day prospecting on
the south slope OF Badly and had started
for camp near shutdown, when they killed
a deer, which delayed them till dark. They
hung the deer in tree rather than pack
il to camp over the rocks in the dark, the
place where they left the deer being only
short distance from camp, in the west fork
of the canon.
They had hardly rolled themselves in
their blankets when they heard an un-
earthly roar and scream. quickly followed
by other roars and screams, as thougn a
whole menagerie of wild beasts had been
turned loose. 1t took them but few mo
ments to determine the cause or the dis
turbance. So. dressing quickly and taxing
their rifles they started to see the run. By
crossing the canon in which they were
camped they got to q point from wnlch
they could command view of quite q
piece Of the western canon.
When they gained the top of the point
they SAW lust below them, not lO0 YARDS
away what had caused the noise. Ihey
could zee the tree where they had hung
their deer. and Just beneath the tree they
saw the deer and two other animais-a
monster California hon and an enormous
cinnamon bear. They had smelt the little
4 I'D 20 a faaot nelntpr one
expecting the other; but there they were.
fighting over the carcass to see which was
to be master of the situation.
Their roaring and screaming awoke a
thousand echoes in the canon, which made
the fight seem more dreadful still. 1t was
a fight to the death. Struggling and roll;
ing, biting and clawing, scratching ana
screaming, did the monsters night, only
breaking away from one another
their breath and strength, when at 1t they
would go again with roar and scream.
Thus they fought for over an hour, when.
torn. bleeding, and completely exhausted.
evidently dying, they rolled apart, only to
lie and snarl at each other. unable from
their terrible exertions to do more. But
there were near worse enemies to them
than they we're to each other.
Quietly the two brothers. knowing there
was nothing to fear from the two exhaust,
ed champions. levelled their rifles, and
after five shots had been fred and the two
mighty brutes had ceased their struggles,
having gained what each had tried to do for
the other, for the two fighters of Old Badly
Law dead. There lay California lion that
measured eight feet four inches from
tin of nose to tip of tail, king OF
his race. The bear, a cinnamon, was a
monster Of his species. As near as they
could estimate, he would have weighed
1000 hounds. Each was a mass of cuts and
wounds. The lion had one foreleg crushed
and mangled, as though from bite. and
the bear was cut from muzzle to tail by
the knife-like claws of his NOR. active
opponent.