The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1896-09-30
THE WILD BULL.
THRILLING FIGHT BETWEEN
BUFFALO AND SIOUX.
Two Daring Indians With Bows and
Arrows Bring to the Dust the
King Of the Herd-The
Last Charge.


been more than fifty, for the tales
he told carried 30 much of the color
Of the country that one found it diff
suit to disbelieve them. He was an
sx.member Of the, Colorado Legisla-
ture, and had come to Washington to
work for the passage of bill to re-
lieve railway employees, and was now
seated with q party of friends at one
Of the small tables in the House res
taurant. His life had been varied and
interesting. He had been cowboy,
an engineman, q railway postal clerk
and politician. The Spanish gentle.
man had just finished an interesting
account OF bull fight whichhad taken
place at Barcelona, in which, by some
accident, the bull had the best of it.
81 saw bull fight on the plains
once" said the short man, laying his
tools down, fright out in the open,
with nothing to hide behind, nowhere
10 stand but on, and nowhere to fall
but off,, as the deceased bard OF st.
10 would say.
cit was while we were locating the
line of the Union Paciio-simply
driving across the country and max
ing observations. A couple of Sioux
Tell in with our party and were riding
along looking for chance to steal
something, when we came suddenly
upon a small herd of buffalo. The
rear guard, a sturdy old bull, was feed.
ing along in a sag between the sand
hills, and, the wind blowing from him
10 US, prevented him from seeming
our party until the two Indians dashed
by, cutting him off from the main
herd. Lowering his head the great
brute bounded away up the little hill,
at the top of which the two Sioux sat
waiting to receive him. Each of the
Indians carried rife, but to our sur
prise they were left hanging at the
saddles. The bull made straight for
one of the horses, but just as he
seemed about to collide the bron.
cho sprang to one side and
an arrow from the Indians bow
was driven deep into the back of the
bull. We expected the animal to bolt
now, but he was enraged and scorned
to escape. Turning, he came straight
for the other Sioux, only to plow the
air close -alarmingly close-to the
agile horse, which carried his rider
safely to the rear, The first Indian
had by this time fixed another arrow,
and when the charge was made planted
it deep behind the bulls left shoulder.
The fight had by this time become 80
exciting that our driver, forgetting
the danger, had driven up to within 8
hundred yards of the scene OF the
battle. Having bounded by one Of
the Indians, carrying another arrow
away with him, the infuriated animal
caught sight of our wagon and drove
straight for us. It was like standing on
the track in front of a locomotive, and
every man of US, realizing the great
danger, was seized with fear that al.
most froze his blood. The driver was
30 filed with terror that he made no
attempt to avoid the collision, which,
from the moment the bull passed the
Indian, seemed inevitable. On he
came, snorting like anowplow and
looking as formidable, and not one OF
us had presence of mind enough to
reach for rifle. We were too badly
scared to move, but not 30 with the
Sioux. Seeing our danger the brave
fellows turned their horses and came
gslloping past the bull, one on either
side, and as they passed him each
drove an arrow into the mad brute.
These new wounds seemed only to in
crease his rage, and on he came, tear
ing toward us, but before they reached
our wagon, the Indians whirled their
horses, and with arrows drawn stood
between us and the approaching
buffalo. The horses had barely time
to turn before the bull was upon
them. One of the broncos sprang
sway, his rider emitting a wild yell as
he sent another arrow into the bleed
ing buffalo. The other Indian was not
30 fortunate. His horse failed to clear
and one of the bulls horns caught in
it's side just behind the girth aud
plowed a great furrow back to the
flank.
"The buffalo appeared to appreci.
ate the advantage of this thrust, and
at once turned ana charged the un.
horsed Sioux. The Indian might
have ended the fight by taking up his
rifle, but he did not. Standing erect
at the side of his dead horse he faced
the rapidly advancing foe and sent an
arrow deep under the shoulder blade.
As the arrow left the string the Indian
dropped beside the body Of his horse
and the buffalo passed over him with
out doing any damage. Now the
mounted Sioux claimed the attention
of the wounded bull, and again the
Sioux on foot. By this time the buf-
falo fairly bristled with arrows and
resembled a huge porcupine. We
could see that the animal was getting
groggy, as they say of prize fighters,
but his sand seemed never to leave
him. With q roar that would send o
chill down your spine, with blood
squirting from his nostrils, he would
drive like hurricane at his tormen.
tors, who, with the exception noted,
seemed to avoid him by about the
breadth of two hairs. When they had
fought five minutes the earth for the
space of fifty feet about resembled o
plowed field. The one living horse was
hecked with the froth OF battle and,
like the buffalo, showed unmlstak.
able signs of exhaustion. As the ac-
tion of the bull grew slower, the