Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1894-11-10
DUEL BETWEEN LIONS.
A Death Struggle Ffercely Fought In
the Forest.

From the Globe Democrat.
ION our return trip to the coast" a trav-
eler in the foothills of the Andes relates,
II a thrilling incident of life in the
South American forest. Il fight to the death
between two big pumas Those great beasts
are fierce, hard fighters at all times against
a common enemy, but it is only during the
mating season that the males fight among
themselves, and when they do the contest
means death to one or both of them.
For strength and courage they are the
equals of the African lion or the tigers OF
the Indian jungles.
1--WE were making our way down mar
row wooded ravine in the foothills Of the
Andes, and had stopped for our midday
stream of clear water. After We had nm
iShed the meal l lay down for short
rest, but in less than five minutes / was
aroused by the most terrific roo ring, snap
ping and snarling of wild beasts j had
ever heard.
'Pumas. and there's going to be fight
said our guide in a whisper.
1T was not difficult to locate the animals.
They were not more than 100 yards away
and by creeping through the brush quiet
ly as possible We were able to get near
enough to see the fight without disturbing
them.
when we caught sight of the two ami
mails they were crouching close to the
ground facing each other, in a small space
finest specimens of the puma l ever saw.
The Cautious Comba tmnts.
''They were probably so feet apart, and
as they crouched there glaring at each
other they looked like giant cats about to
spring on their prey. Pugilists never
spared with greater caution than did those
big brutes. Their tails were switching back
and forth, and their eyes We're like balls of
fire. Slowly they moved around In a circle.
all the time cautiously getting closer and
closer together
1T was evident that each was waiting for
the other to make the first lead For more
than ten minues they watched and waited.
The roaring and snarling We had heard
when they first met had ceased. They made
10 sound now as they watched for a
chance to spring.
our own nerves were trembling under
the strain, when at last the two great
beasts rose i'll the air at the same instant
and, like catapults, came together with a
thud that could have been heard 200 yards
away.
They dropped to the ground and for al
most ten minutes all we could make out
was two great brown bodies rolling over
and over in death struggle. They made
no outcry or any kind, but every few sec
onds we could hear their pow arfui Jaws
come together with a snap like the closing
of a weli-oiled steel trap.
FINALLY they began to weaken and as
their struggles grew less violent We could
see that both Of them were covered with
blood while their flesh was torn to shire Is
In I'VE minutes more the fight was over
ana the two giants of the forest were
stretched out at full length on the ground,
claspei in each others limbs, lust as two
playful kittens sometimes lie down together
They struggled feehly a little longer and
then both of them lay perfectly still Both
were dead when We got to them and |
never saw animals so torn to pieces The
entrails Of both were torn out and scattered
over the ground where they had fought, and
in their necSs were great ragged holes,
from which the blood had flowed in streams
while they were still fighting. They each
had score Of wounds that would have
killed any animal with less tenacity of
life"