Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1893-01-07
An Old Veteran 0utdOne in the
Desperate EncOun-
ter
The Hero Of Many Battles Lett 70
Die in tie Nllds OF
Africa.

/ by that doughty monarchs father,
| AiCsiiikatze, and still remains suhsery-
| lent TO the Matabeles. The approx
mate position Of my camp at the time
/ Witnessed the scene / will endeayOr
10 describe as Latitude y degrees south,
| longitude 81 degrees east The com
| try surrounding me was malyelOusly
attractive, although only aud, very
| sparsely covered with bu~'., therefore
totally useless for agricultural or pas
tOral purposes, but through the fiat
vcldts surface, at irregular intervals,
rose copies of immense blocks Of stone,
piled one upon the other, that reselE-
/ hled the debris that might have been
left after 1itans had built n gigantic
city or mammoth fertilization These
erupuons from beneath the earth's
| surface were covered with parasitic
| plants, decorated with most attractive
| fruit or gorgeous blossoms. A species
| Of aloe, too, was numerous, the upright
| stem which bears its flower having n
very striking resemblance to civiliza-
toms unsightly telegraph poles.
| This country is not destitute Of water,
as is attested by the numbers Of la
Blooms, monkeys and leopards that fire.
qucnt the copies, and the auteiopes,
zehrus and guinea fowl that wander
over the flats Possibly the indigenous
| bushmen know where to find this neces-
sity Of life, but these astute savages
concealed their secret from me and
my people. ! was riding slowly along,
admiring the beautiful colors Of that
4 distant landscape In close attendance
was my Mascara guide. My reverie
was broken by an unknown sound,
which echoed and reached from the
| surrounding crags. 1t was not the hon
est bark Of the haboon, or the reyer-
| beratinc voice OF the lion or the ny
ena's discorlant laugh, hut q combina-
ton Of all Of them, uttered In quick
| successive gasps
On inquiry from my follower he in
/ formed me that kameels (giraltes) were
the oieiuatols OF the unknown sound.
| The Mascara begged me to follow him.
This / did and SO became witness Of
| one of the most extraordinary sights
in wild life that had ever seen,
| Those who have dwelt in the distant
east have doubtlessly seen male camels
I fight and noted with what obstinacy,
power and viciousuess 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.
A giraffe duel much resembles a
camers. The rivals were not well
matched the taller was out of condi-
/ ton and very old; the other was in
splendid form and in the prime of life.
! | concluded that n fight vas imminent
and had no difficulty In deciding which
would be the victor They roared in
unison, as If each were trying to drown
I the others voice; sometimes this would
| cease for a few moments and then
/ begin again with renewed strength.
| Presently the belligcrents came within
few yards Of each other.
! Although the giraffe possessed a GER
/ tain beauty when at rest it loses its
I grace when In motion, and the greater
1 its speed the more ungainly does it
appear. But when two mature bulls
/ begin to waltz and dance violently
around each other, each endeavoring
to outdo the other in agility, at the
same time mumbling their jaws and
emitting fearfuly discordant roars, II
Is certainly one Of the most absurd
sights human eye ever looked upon.
have often seen a crane dance-a func.
don common enough north Of the Naal
river, II h more than funny-it il ri9iCH.
lous - but cannot for an instant be
compared 10 the antics of these two
mamr.oth brutes. Their great height
added to the Consequences Of their be-
hayior: but even if the beasts had been
NO bigger than goa5s or sheen, the ab-
s,ira manner in which they swung
about their feet c0ntorted their bodies
and swayed their heads must have
moved the most phelsnate
we lay hidden and quiet while the
rivals We're getting closer and closer
10 each other at length when they
were nearly within striking distance
simultaneously each hropEed upon hlN
knees and commenced to twist and
irvine Ills long neck about thar oi the
other, with the evident purpose +
selling his adverSlry's throat. This
lasted several minutes bur both Were
skilled AZ fence" and ultimately reliu.
pliShed this style lf eghting and adopt
ia other tactics They began rearing
IS If to bear each other down thoi,
mouths nh the time open to grip 4
opportunity occurred A. length tile
violent exercise began Il tell upon the
elder heaSt. he made some mistake I'll
Il parry, and the younger seized with
his teeth the foot of the veteran. who
III return llid hold II his opponents
ear.
For some moments there was 4
nanse. 1t WINS very brief md then tho
struggle was renewed With q gigantic