Macon beacon. [volume] (Macon, Miss.) 1859-1995, 1894-12-29
KINGS OF THE PLAINS.
Desperate aud Fatal Encounter Between
Two Cutamed stations.

W Unnamed STATIONS.
Evening comes very gently on the
plains. The sun crceps downward in
the heavens and gilds all things with
wondrous magnitcence, leaving in his
wake a wilderness of crimson and gold.
There he hides his head in slumber
behind the mighty canyons of the
Sierias.
We saw them coming from out the
rhadows of the foothills, and at first
they were little more than two black
specks on the wide waste that lay he
tween us. They were miles apart when
first seen, but they converged their
courses as they came nearer, each evil
IDENTIFY making for the same point.
"Them's two bands Of horses that
hev been turned out said Godsey,
after he had regarded the advancing
hosts intently for awhile, They'll
meet bout hyar, an the stallions'll be
apt ter fight"
They came forward, quickly gallop-
ing through the evenings Sunshine,
but always in as perfect order as a
squad of drilled cavaly. When they
approached nearer we could see the
stations of each band rounding up the
tagging mares and exhibiting many
signs of nervous apprehension, but not
until they had arrived within u few
hundred yards of the place were we
had camped was any overt act Of hos
tility committed.
A foal broke away from the right
hand troop, c%ircling around playfully,
and the mare to whom he belonged
followed him, neighing fretiully. Like
a fash of lightning the stallion of the
opposing band, a beautiful bay with
white markings, dashed out FROM
his stronghold and e~ndeavorcd to
round the mare and colt up with his
band. This was the challenge and
signal for battle, and it did not pass
unheeded, for a powerful chestnut
with flowing manc and tail shot for
ward from the right and met the in.
truder half way between the bands.
What a spectacle it was as these two
monarchs of the plains in all the glory
OF youth and strength met in deadly
conflict while the mellow reflections of
eventide rung the changers on and in
tensiied the beauty of their satin
hides. They advance rearing on their
launches and paving the air, while
their defiant n~eighing has been rem
dered shrill by intense anger. Now
they meet and strike out viciously, en-
deavoring to rend each others necks
and Threats with their teeth. Now
they wheel and lash ont savagely with
their hind legs, exhibiting throughout
a cat-like agility and generalship tina.
Is nothing short of miraculous.
1t is a desperate encounter, where
quarter is neither asked nor taken, and
it can only end with the death of one
of the combatants.
For fully an hour it wages with
varying success, but strength and stay
ing powers begin to tell in favor of the
chestnut stallion, and the bay is grad
ually forced to his knees. He still
fights CALAMITY, but the odds are
against him, and his antagonist show
ers blows upon him with his front hoofs
that cut his hide into shreds as with a
knife, while the blood gushes from a
hundred wounds. For q few moments
nc struggles on, and then, with a
great gasp, he rolls v e on his side and
lies motionless, while the victor limps
slowly back to the band. In that mel
low twilight a king has been laid
low. -Chicago Times,