The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1894-11-25
Pumas ia Deadly Conflict.

"On our return trip TO the coast l saw
a thrilling incident of life IN the SCUM
American forest, night TO the death De
tween TWO big pumaS. Those great r dslS
are fierce hard lighters at all ZINES
against common enemy, but II is only
during the mating season that the mares
fight among themselves, ana Wheh they
do the contest means death TO one or
both of them. For strength ana courage
they are the equals OF the African non or
the tigers of the Indian Jungles
I'VE were making our way down mar
row wooded i.lVine in the foothills OF the
Andes and had stopped for our midday
meal on the bank OF "a small mountain
stream OF clear water. After We had
finished the meal ! lay down for short
rest. but i'm less than five minutes l was
aroused by the most terrlnc roaring:
swapping and snarling OF wild beasts |
had ever heard:
fight said our guide in whisper. II
was not difficult TO locate the animals.
They were not more than 100 yards away,
and by creeping through the brush as
quietly as possible We We're able TO get
near enough TO see the night without dis
turbing them. When we caught sight or
the two animals they were crouching
close to the ground; racing each other
They were the finest specimens Oh the
puInas | ever saw.
They were probably thirty feet apart,
and as they cruuched there glazing at
each other they looked like giant cats
about TO spring Oh their prey. Pugilists
never spared with greater caution than
did those big brutes Their tails We're
switching back and forth. and their eyes
were like balls of fire. Slowly they
moved around in IA circle. all the time
cautiously getting closer and closer to-
gether. II was evident that each was
WAITING for the other to make the first
lead For more than ten minutes they
watched and waited The roaring and
snarling we had heard when they first
~. a
now as they watched for chance TO
spring.
the strain when at last the two great
beasts rose in the air al the same instant
| and like catapults, came together with
a thud that could have been heard 20l
| yards away. They dropped to the ground
and for almost ten minutes all we could
make out was two great brown bodies
rolling over and over in the death strug-
| gle. They made no cutlery OF any kind,
| but every few seconds we could hear
their powerful jaws come together with
| snap like the closing Of well-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 10
! shreds In five minutes more the fight
| was over and the two giants Of the forest
were stretched out at full length on the
| ground, clasped in each others limbs
| Just as two playful kittens sometimes lie
| down together. They struggled feebly
| a little longer and then both ~ them Law
| perfectly still. Both were Nead when
we got TO them and / never saw animals
| so torn 10 pieces The entrails of both
were torn out and scattered over the
| ground where they had fought and en-
| their necks were great ragged holes, from
| which the blood had flowed I'm stre,Jns
| while they were still fighting. They each
| had a score of wounds that would have
| killed any animal with less tenacity of
life From the st. Louis Globe Demo
| crat