The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1892-08-24
AND BEAR FIGHT
the Shaggy Animal Came on
Victor In the Bloody
Fight
he and Again Old Grey Rex
Had vanquished Antag-
nists Like Bruln.

I This Ons Adopted New Taotics and
Killed the Horse Aftsr
Tsssiao STRUGGLE.
Tremendous battle between . powerful
lion and : big grizzly bear Was m ~.
|nR svsnt that was Witnessed By The en-
yes Of James Nursrss, at the lattsf's
untaiu ranch, on Monday last. Old Ursus
(rribilis proved himself the bsttss fighter.
!. although hs Was terribly injured BY HE
n-hoofsd antagonist, hs might have re-
kered from his wounds had not Jim Max
u. . vaquero. ssnt ! slug from > Sharp's
. through his body. Before the grizxly
d, however. no played evsn with his
man foe. says : Boise (Idaho) CORE
bndsnt OF The Globe Democrat.
The battle royal between the two beats
mmsncsd q about 4;30 Ia tho morning
4 lastsd abont half ~ hour. The ranch
nds saw the melee from it, commence
MT. but 70 confident were thsy that ths
lllion would prove . victor that they did
y attempt TO interfere until II was too
%. Time and old Gray Rex, % the big
Prman horse was called, had In short or
: killed black bears OF considerable size,
d tho mon thought his sarly-morning an
konist was nothing more than - unuSu-
, big black bear which had como to the
nch in search Of . juicy shoat. They OBJ
wed that the shaggy animals method Of
hitting was quite unusual. but they vera
o anxious to enjoy q little sport TO give
9 matter q second thought.
Ola Gray Rex had been sleeping in his
ed the previous niRkt. and whom he heard
. mon moving about he pranced out.
ighine fot his matutinal feast OF grain.
he rounded the cowpsn the men saw him
gerly sniff the air. his ears slanted for
Ard and his NAM stiff and bristling.
Azing over the grassy range the mon saw
. figure Of q bear lstsursly slouching of
ward the heavy oopse.
"A moment later Gray Rex. his syes dis
nded with rage, sharp sports Of anger and
p6ance issuing from his rod nostrils,
arted majestically across the plain to offer
title to the retrsating intruder. The bear
bard the hostile advance of the stallion
bid he glanced ovor his shoulder, but he
d not quicken his shufhing gait. He had
fidently seen horses before.
by George! boys, there's Qoin' to be
bms funv' cried Cowboy Jack Spires, and
be men clambsred TO the roof Of q she'd the
bitter to see the battle.
II was not long delayed. Cray Rex, with
piercing scream Of rage. with his white
eth exposed. dashed at the bear. which,
it'll a low, Rrumbling g-owl, jumped to one
dc in time to avoid the onslaught. The
wage stallion wheeled, slowly approached
be bear. and then with a quick turn be
|nded his hind feot upon the grizzly'a
|bs. The blow was . sumner, and the
ION who heard 1t Thought the bear was
pne for.
1t was a surprise TO tho bear. but il did
BIT disable him. With a shake of his big
pad and q shifting Of his feet hs faced the
F~allion, which again rushed at him with
idsly opened mouth. The grizzly was
badly and old Rex received a slap on the
Ruzzle that threw him of his feet and
kused him to collide with his hnrd-hittlng
htaponist. Over went both bear and hOrse.
Rex was the frat to regain his feet. With
fierce scream ard with terrific force he
Fought his sharp fore feet down upon the
ears left flank, bringing the blood in q
|car was for a moment badly dazed. The
balloon had gained = decided advantage,
ut be had become more wary. He was ao-
hstomed to fighting with bears that rose
|p on their launches. giving him splendid
opportunities to deliver adrolt kicks, the
brcs Of which soon proved fatal. The tao
los pursued by his latest opponent puzzled
i'm and be hesitatsd.
The ranchmen noticed this with surprise,
md. jumping from tho shed, they cautiously
the battlefield. To their subse-
|uent regret there were too excited to think
4 bringing firearms.
Rex heard b men approaching. and he
peedily regainsd his waning courage. He
ashed at the bear, turned nimbly aud
ioked him end over end. The bear did not
eem to b sFvsry badly injured. but he was
thoroughly aroused. Rex was upon
i'm in an instant, thinking to again stab
be bear with his fors feet.
Az the horse reared for tho blow the RriZ-
~ iarted forward. and, with . tremendous
low from n of its armored paws. it
ippsd open the bowels of the bellig@rent
The nor saw the blood rush
orth, and realized that Hex had at length
act his match. Jim Maxwell rushed 10 the
ouse for his rifle. and the other men tried
y shouts and sudden sortiss to brighten
be bear away.
'ere at it tooth. hoef and claw, engaged
terrible conflict. both. animals
'ere bathed in blood, poor old Rsx's
Dior appearing only in Irregular
pots. Ho fought like = demon, ct, liking,
and biting. Again and again with
10 cleaning teeth hs tore patches Of hide
nd flesh from the body Of the bear, and
early evsry time he tried TO land his feet
. succeeded.
But the bear was 40 savags ~ tho horse.
10 had been crippled fore and aft, but he
ras full of fight, and great Jaw patches
pom tho stsllion's sides. breast and head,
bowed where his blows had struck. Ihs
animals did not pause . moment.
hey fought like tigsls, the horse shrilly
and the grizzly growing sui
Presently the bear saw 4 chance 10 do
a blow with n Of his tremendous
avs. Il fell with a murderous force upon
stallion's shoulder. and 1t knocked him
YER and over. When he arose he vas
azsd. II VA evident that he could not
the bear, for he commenced to trot here
nd there, apparently in search Of his foe.
Presently his eyes fell upon the bear,
HIGH wal savage and expsotant. With q
sarful ovy Of rage ths horse rushed, or
sthsr staggered toward his red-sysd an.
and again 10 essayei to strike
18th his fore feet. But hs was too weak.
70 gave the foe an opening, aud a moment
he sank to the earth dead, with q
roken neck.
Just at this instant Jim Maxwell fred.
he bullet pierced the Rrizxly's BODY.
With q sharp yelp no turned 10 dee, but be
wheeled, dashed ut the man.
'ruck Maxwell upon his left hip. breaking