The record-union., 1893-03-01

saw a fresh challenge. There, standing
out IN full view, was another bull,
monster Of fellow, belonging to his late
enemy's herd. He paved the earth with
great strokes and sent rockets of turf
curving high in air, some of which sifted
lts me soil down upon the nose of the
victor.
AS we looked at this new challenger
and took in his immense form we
chuckled with the assurance that the
naughty fellow would now have some
decent humility imposed upon him. The
conqueror himself must have been i'm
pressed with the formidableness of his
new antagonist, for there was change in
his demeanor at once. OF course, accord
ing to el-established buffalo code, he
could do nothing but accept the challenge.
Space was cleared as the two monsters
went through their gyrations, their toss
lngs OF earth, their lashings of tail, their
snorts and their low bellows. This APP
peared to them more serious contest
than the former, if we could Judge from
the length of the Introductory part. They
took more time before they settled down
to business. We were of the opinion that
the delay was caused by the champion,
VINO resorted to small arts to prolong the
prelininaries. We watched it all with
the most excited interest 1t had all the
thrilling features of Spanish bull fight
without the latter's degradation of man.
Here was the level of nature. Here the
true buffalo instincts with their native
temper were exhibiting themselves in
their most emphatic and vigorous fash
ion. 1t was the butfalo's trial of nerve,
strength and skill. Numberless as must
have been these tournaments, in which
the champions of different herds met to
decide which was superior, in the long
ages during which the buffalo kingdom
reigned supreme over the vast Western
prairies of the United States, yet few had
ever been witnessed by man. We were
looking upon aSpectacle exceedingly rare
to human eyes, and l confess that l never
was more excited than when this last
trial reached its climax. 1t was ques-
| ton now whether the champion should
still hold his position. 1t stimulates one
more when he thinks of losing what he
has seized than when he thinks OF failing
TO grasp that which he has never pos
sessed. Undoubtedly both of these ami
mails had this same feeling, for as we
looked at this latest arrival in the arena
we about concluded that he was the real
leader, and not the other that limped
away vanquiShed.
while these and other thoughts were
passing through our minds the two
mighty contestants squared and made
tremendous plunge for each other. What
shock was that What a report on the
terrific conclusion OF buffalo brains, and
both burly fellows went down on their
knees. Both, too, were on their feet the
same instant, and locked horns with the
same swiftness and skill, arNi each bore
down on the other with all the power he
could summon. The cords stood out like
great ropes on their necks. The muscles
on thighs and hips rose in huge welts.
We were quite near these fellows and
could see the roll of their blood-red fiery
eyes. They braced and showed with per-
fectly terrible force. The froth began to
drip in long strings from their mouths.
The erstwhile victor slipped with one
hind foot slightly. His antagonist felt it
and instantly swung a couple of inches
forward, which raised the unfortunate
buffalo's back, and we expected every
instant that we would go down. But he
had firm hold and he swung his antag-
onist back to his former position, where
they both were held painting, their
tongues lolling out.
There was a slight relaxation for
breath. Then the contest was renewed.
Deep into new sod their boots sunk,
neither getting the advantage of the
other. Like the crack of a tree broken
asunder came a report on the air and one
of the legs of the first fighter sank into
the earth. The other buffalo thought he
saw his chance and made a furious lunge
tO"aiu LIS oPPonohG. Aho SoitA tloui-
bled beneath us. The monsters there
fighting began to reel. We beheld an
awful rent in the sod. For an instant the
ground swayed, then nearly an acre
dropped out of sight.
"We started back with horror. Then
becoming treasured we slowly ap-
preached the brink of the new precipice
and looked over. This battle of the buff
taloes had been fought near the edge of
this high bluff. Their great weight
each one was over a ton-and their ire
mendous struggles had loosened the
fibers which kept the upper part of the
bluff together, and the foundations hay
ing been undermined by the current, all
were precipitated far below.
"As we gazed downward we detected
two moving masses quite a distance
apart, and soon the shaggy fronts of these
butfaloes were seen. One got into the
current of the river and was swept down
stream. The other was soon caught by
the tides and swept onward toward his
foe. Probably they resumed the contest
when, after gaining good footing further
down the banks of the Missouri, they
were fully rested.
But more probably, if they were
sensible animals-and in some respects
buffaloes have good sense-they con-
Guided after such a providential interior
ence in their terrific fight that they
should live together in fraternal amity.
So no doubt on the lower waters of the
Missouri two splendid buffaloes have
been seen by later hunters paying each
other mutual respect and standing on a
perfect equality as chief leaders of great
herd. Tribune.
THE BILLVILLE CHRISTMAS TREE.