The Louisiana Democrat. [volume] (Alexandria, La.) 1845-1918, 1895-10-23
DU5Ls AMONG SHEEP.
The Bucks Fight with Gravity and Seen
to Have q Code Of Honor.

Tho Bucks Fight With Gravity and Seem
to Have q Code Of Honor.
One of the amusing sights out
west is the fiocks of bucks on the
sheep ranches in Arizona and New
Mexico. There are certain regions
given up to sheep raising, and one
can find outfits which number as
high as SO, oo0 sheep. These are d.
vided into focks, never more than
5000 IN a bunehi and while the
lunches may be within d Tow miles
Of each other thoy are kept separate
and apart and never allowed to mins
gle. Five thousand sheep in q bunch
is about all that the genius OF man
or dog odn handle to advantage.
During certain seasons Of the year
the bucks are punched together by
themselves, and these r the woolly
folk who furnish tho entertainment.
All day long they fgbt sham duels
with each other, and every waking
moment in the 81 will offer the on
locker a spectacle of full 30 of these
combats raging ct a time. The sheep
seem to have q fashion of code and
conduct these affairs of honor with
a great deal of order and decorum.
They arc never for blood and re-
semble a sparring match for points
between boxers or q joust with
blunted spears between knights Of
oldcn time. As you watch tho flock
grazing along your eye will be
aroused to some buck, who sudden
~ ceases feeding and stands for a
moment in a thoughtful attitude.
It has suddenly occurred to this
champion that he would enjoy q
brief bunting bout, and he looks up
and down tho block for an adver-
sary.
Having selected his follow duelist,
he walks toward him with a very
dignifed, almost naughty. air. The
buck thus honored by his notice
raises his head as no IS approached
and looks at the other with great
calmness. The particular Merino
who is resolved on trouble goes quite
close to the other, and in a stiff,
formal way strikes him once or
twice with his fore foot. This hoof
maneuver would seom to- be the
challenge.
The buck thus tapped-and the
blow is Bestowed somewhere about
the fore legs-bows profoundly, rs if
in naughty acquiescence. and begins
to back slowly away. The chal-
longer does tho same. When they
have separated to q distance of per-
haps 80 yards, they will spring into
the air once or twice in astif logged
way, as if testing their thews. Hav-
ing satisfied themselves that they
arc decidedly in working order, and
as if with tho same impulse, they
lower their heads and rush at each
other.
They meet half way with a crash
that can be heard across the plains
for a mile, and each buck is so Sc
verely jolted as to be driven back
ward several feet. Bowling with
great deferonce to each other, they
then retreat backward Us they did
before and to about tho same dis
tanceand charge again. Their woolly
pates will crash together a second
time, after which they will retreat.
for q third. Before ono or the other
is entirely satisfied they will run.
some six or seven of these courses.
At last ono will signify in q dig
nifed way, and by simply turning
his attention to cropping tho grass,
that he doesn't care for any more
exercise of that sort Mt that time.
His adversary may feel like another
bunt, but he urges his wish,
and if there Is still any combat in
him which must DO worked of he
hunts another sheep. Sometimes
whom two bucks are pulling off a
duel some other buck will DO attract
cd by the sight.
Without asking a%nybody's per-
mission he will lower his head and
charge with tho others. Instead of a
duel there will DO q trio. Occasion
ally q fourth, ven q fifth, will take
part, and as many as eight bucks
have been seen all hilariously charg-
ing for q common center in O fashion
of a woolly Donnybrook fair.
These buck tournaments appear
to afford the sheep great satisfac-
ton. They conduct them with grav-
ity, and as mono of them ever gets
hurt and all of them seem much re-
freshed thereby the sheep herders
never Interfere Star.