The Opelousas courier., 1896-12-05
THE WILD BULL
THRILLING FIGHT BETWEEN
BUFFALO AND SIOUX.
Two Daring Indians With Bows and
Arrows Bring to the Dust Ii
King of the Herd-The
Last Charge.

ex-member of the Colorado Legisla-
ture, and had come to Washington to
work for the passage of a bill to re.
lieve railway employees, and was now
seated with a party Of friends at one
of the small tables in the House res
taurant. His life had been varied and
interesting. He had been a cowboy,
an engineman, a railway postal clerk
and politician. The Spanish gentle
man had just finished an interesting
account OF q bull fight whichhad taken
place at Barcelona, in which, by some
accident, the bull had the best of it.
81 saw a 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
to stand but on, and nowhere to fall
but off,, as the deceased bard of st.
10 would say.
est was while we were locating the
line of the Union Pacifc-simply
driving across the country and max.
ing observations. A couple of Sioux
fell in with our party and were riding
along looking for a chance to steal
something, when we came suddenly
upon a small herd of buffalo. The
rear guard, a sturdy old bull, asfeed-
ing along in a sag between the sand
hills, and, the wind blowing from him
to 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 a rifle, but to III 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 pillow the
air Overwhelmingly 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 behindthe bulls left shoulder.
The fight had by this time become SO
exciting that our driver, forgetting
the danger, had driven up to within a
hundred yards of the scene of the
battle. Having bounded by n OF
the Indishs, carrying another arrow
away withthim, the infuriated animal
caught sit at of our waGIn ind drove
stra1eJD} for us. 1t WAS ke standing on
thc!itrack in front Of anocomotive, and
every man OF us, reaeizing the great
danger, was seizeet With a fear that al
most froze G lis 1SSii}ooa The driver was
so filed with terror that he made nc
attempt to avoid the collision, which,
from the moment the bull passed the
Indian, seemed inevitable. On ht
came, snorting like a enowplow anc
looking as formidable, and not one O.
us had presence of mind enough tt
reach for a rifle. We were too badly
scared to move, but not so with tht
Sioux. Seeing our danger the brave
fellows turned their horses and came
galloping past the bull, one on eithel
side, and as they passed him eact
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 theil
horses, and with arrow drawn stood
between us and the approaching
buffalo. The horses had barely time
to turn before the bull was upor
them. One of the broncos sprane
away, his rider emitting a wild yell a.
he sent another arrow into the bleed
ing buffalo. The other Indian was no
so fortunate. His horse failed to olea;
and n of the bulls horns caught il
it's side just behind the girth aut
plowed a great furrow back to tn
flank.
"The buffalo appeared to appreci
ate the advantage of this thrust, an,
ut once turned ana charged the un
horsed Sioux. The Indian nigh
have ended the fight by taking up hi
rifle, but he did not. Standing cree
at the side of his dead horse he face
the rapidly advancing foe and sent a
arrow deep under the SHOULDER blade
AS the arrow left the string the India.
dropped beside the body of his hors
and the buffalo passed over him with
out doing any damage. Now tn
mounted Sioux claimed the attentio
of the wounded bull, and again tn
Sioux on foot. By this time the but
falo fairly bristled with arrows an
resembled a huge porcupine. W
could see that the animal was gettinI
groggy, as they say of prize fighters
but his sand seemed never to leav
him. With a roar that would send
chill down your spine, with bloc
squirting from his nostrils, he woul
drive like a hurricane at his tormen
tors, who, with the exception noted
seemed to avoid him by about tn
breadth Of two hairs. When they ha
fought five minutes the earth for tn
space of fifty feet about resembled
plowed field. The one living horse We
fecked with the froth of battle and
like the buffalo, showed unmistat
able signs Of exhaustion. As the az
ton of the bull grew slower, tn
horseless Sioux fought further fro,
cover. At times he would stand fort
in the very face Of his furious advel
sary and after ~discharging his AFRO
leap to one side while the monstt
brushed by.
uWa were surprised at the begil