The leader., 1899-05-17

of the road as by the siowness of me
bulls movements
The stage ratified back around the
curve and out of sight. while his DO
vine majesty stared after il as il wor-
dering how IL had vanished
| Then for few minutes he again be-
took himself to the task Of scrapipg the
highway; but presently, with head
erect. he started off toward the bridge,
believing in one unbroken peal as he
went.
The cause of this decided movement
was at once apparent, and il was with
startled feelings that we recognized
what had taken place.
| The believing from the other side
of the river was getting nearer. A
cloud of dust showed itself on that side
of the bridge. Mr.. Wilson's big Jersey
was out! A moment more and we could
see his short horns and strong back I'M
der the sand and gravel that he was
throwing into the air.
1t was right in the middle of the
bridge that the two powerful creatures
met. We heard their horns clash to-
gether and their struggling hoofs grind
the planks. Both heads were lowered,
and both sinewy frames were pushing
with all their might.
! II was such an exhibition Of strength
as ! have never seen equaled. Those
thick, short necks seemed made of solid
, iron.
For time il seemed as il neither
would be able to obtain any advantage
over his antagonist, but at length the
Jersey was forced to step slowly back.
although still disputing the ground
with many desperate rally to recover
what was lost.
Presently. while the two furious COM
! batants were braced against each other,
! crosswise to the road, the TANKS of the
! inferior bull struck the old. rotten rail.
ing of the bridge, and we heard it crack
| loudly.
The Holstein was pushing with ire
mendous vigor; the Jersey lost another
foot of grouid. and there was no chance
! for him to regain il. Crash, went the
old wood behind him. and sheer off the
bridge. and down into the river. tum-
bled rail. bull and all.
OF course the attention of the specta-
tors was fixed upon the vanquished an
imal. in some anxiety for his safety.
But he did not seem to be in jured in the
least. Turning his broad. curly front
toward his pasture, he swan strongly
for the shore, only some 30 yards dis
tant. and quickly scrambled up the
bank.
In the meantime the Holstein re-
manned upon the bridge. For some
minutes he stood motionless. exactly
in the position he had occupied when
his enemy disappeared. His head was
down, at charge bayonet" depres-
sion and his tail remained lifted just as
it had been in the fight. He seemed
but the figure of a bull cut in black
and white marble.
The catastrophe was evidently be-
yond his comprehension. What had be-
come of his adversary, who was so sud
denly and so unaccountably gone?
Presently he began to back straight
across the bridge, taking up one foot
after another very slowly, and occasion
ally paving the planks with his fore
hoof. Back, back, back he stepped, all
the while in an attitude of sullen de-
tiance. with lowered head and threat
ching below.
! The rail behind him was rotten and
weak. Its condition had long been a re-
| preach to the town. 1t broke instantly
as his weight pressed against it. He
! did not seem to notice the obstruction
in the least. or even to know that he
| had touched il.
Back, back he pushed. Both hind
feet went over the edge of the bridge.
His head flew up his fore hoofs scraped
the planks. and then there was a great
splash in the water below.
For few seconds the big Holstein
was entirely lost to sight, while the
waters eddied and surged above the
spot where he had gone down. Then
he rose and turned his curly pate to-
ward the shore, landing in his own pas
ture precisely as the Jersey had landed
in the other.
Neither of the animals had suffered
any injury and the amount of below
ing and scraping with which they filled
up the remainder of the day showed
that both were as sound as ever in lung
and limb.
The town forthwith voted to fix a
good, substantial railing upon that
bridge, so that, after all, the meeting
of the two bulls became the occasion of
a very necessary road improvement
Golden DAYS.