The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1899-03-05
BEARS AND HORSE FlGHT.
Jim Bells wild Animal Was Backed to
Win, and He Did.
From he Phiiadsiphia Press.

Win, and He Did.
From he Phiiadsiphid Press.
SIMPSONS CORNERS. n. O.. Feb. 1S.-Fully
100 typical mountaineers. hunters. trappers
and tarheel lounRers were congregated about
Simpsons store. the only place OF business
within twenty miles, when l arrived last Sat
urday. Having a curiosity to learn the cause
Of the odd combination, l inquired OF a long
limbed. red-headed. butternut hunter.
wal, stranger. there's Goin' to como of
right way the gosh durndest fight you ever
saw right here at the corners"
WHO are the contestants and what are they
going to fight for?"
Thar amt no who bout It. It's ole Jim
Bells stalyun that's goin' to lambaste Sam
Carriers two big bars. an let me tell YOU. stran-
ger. it will be a fight to member for many a
year. an I'm a bettin' on the stalyun."
"A horse to do battle with two full-grown
bears? Why. my friend. the bears ought to be
able to tear him to pieces in n jiffy."
Say. stranger. rs parent you don't know
that hoss. Why. that stalyun's the biggest
devil this side OF ole Nautchalah. There amt
no Twin crltter on four legs can down him.
That s%talyun's wiped out half. a dozen bars.
killed q painter an near bout cleaned out the
creek OF men and critters the last year. Hos
dang'us as din'mite. an nobody can handle
him ~'ceptin' ole Jim's boy. Jack. an how'n
thunder he does it nobody kpows. Sun folks
say he hipntizes the boss. Mebbe he does:
AWAY he's the only human that can handle
Where can l find this terrible animal?"
Right over there In that pen." replied my
inf9Trmant, spo d, to a big stoGkada Of heavy
When climbed. mp and stood upon a wide
shelf or string OF logs which extended en-
looked over at. the occupant OF the pen l was
forced to confess that the hunter had not ex-
cerned. The animal | looked upon was a wild
stallion o. the mountain breed. common in
Although not above 14ha hands In height he
was certainly the most vicious. and savage
looking brute OF the, equine species l had ever
name and tail and with limbs Of perfect sym
metry. and but for the, manner, in which he
long Rlistenlng teeth as he snapped at the PEG
ple.on the, shelf. making them dodge down out
OF reach. ne would have been q nerfect beauty;
AS 1t was. his actions showed him to be q devil
iDcarnate.
l had scarcely taken all this in when four
either of which would have tipped the scale at
400 bounds. The crowd followed close behind.
s small 't gates at 1ei the bot botto men of the The Spsa ( 40 TO
let the, bears In a human belt encircled the
st9ckade. The bears were, let in at opposite
sides. and almost In a flash there began the
most terrific and bloody battle i had ever seen.
] have witnessed in the. Old North State and
In the mountains battles between cqtamounts
and bulldogs. | have seen a panther pitted
against dogs. bears and catamounts. and once
big bears and a panther fought a drove OF pee
carries. but In comparison with the fight which
followed all OF the above seemed placid as
The bears had barely time to straiehten up
after their entrance before the black stallion
big bear. which stood almost below my feet.
Brulp say him coming and rose to his hind
and hunger. The horse was too quick for him,
however, Tor before the bear could strike with
his powerful arms the stallion reared up. drove
both forefeet sQuarely into the bears face and
neck. knocking him six feet away.
Wheeling like lightning. the enraged stall;
launch out bear No. > came up on a SaIIop. and
just as the horses heels left the ground the
a SSSr gave a ioo 8 G aboHe f tRs iiet Gia q and the 'en hIds
away a strip OF hide a foot long and an inch in
width. With a scream Of rage and rain the
done. almost in midaIr, and before 30; 2"c"nl'd
face about tho stations sharp teeth closed
Asnap. a rip Of tearing flesh and one ear and
growing with rage, was on It's hind feet IN a
second. but only in time TO catch 4 vicious kick
with both hind feet. which sent 1t over on, it's
hnck: AZ before, the horse was compelled to
whir! about y face a, SECOND enemy. for bear
No, had gotten on its feet and was rushing
appeared which probably WIS not much
more man as many seconds there was a mix
Gn e. e .DHnca hair spor ana AMI heels; nm mingled with
One bear was down and badly hurt. The
other bear. No. 2. was bleeding prOfusely about
the head and one OF his legs seemed 10 hs
crippled. AS for the stallion, he was ~fearfully
torn on every, ono OF his four legs, .
But before | could take IN. the full extent Of
injuries given and received BY the three fight
ers they. were all again, on tho move. The
bears this, time separated 70 attack tho stall
n, ring general, for the horse whirled and
charged directly at one Of them, and MS the
bear attempted to gain his hind feet he
wheeled and launched both hind hoofs with q
sickentng thud against his ribs.
could plainly hear the snap OF broken bones
as the bear toppled over. but before the stallion
could dodge or throw M his head out Of reach
No. = struck him on the nose with his claws.
second after the horse, which now seemed a
mass OF torn and bleeding flesh. bounded into
the air and came down with all four feet on
his PROSTATE foe. crushing bone. flesh and
muscle beneath. Then. scarcely giving his
dying foe u glance, the crazed stallion spTang
regain his feet. Again the stallion snrang
into the air. with his four feet gathered into u
bunch. and again there was 4 ,sickening
now den1: crushed and kicked into two bloody
masses Of WOOL. hone and flesh.
After his last dash the horse walked away n
few stepE, then, turning. staggered up 70 the
first bear he had Knocked out. knelt down and
body then with bloody head and glisteninR
teeth the savage brute. managed to stAgger
over 10 the other mass OF wool and flesh. which
he served in the same manner.
After tearing and battertnR the body into a
mass of broken bones and mangled flesh. the
stallion tossed his head. from which the
bloody foam new in long fecks, gave a neigh
Of triumph and fell lifeless 70 the ground,
The stallion bad won the battle. but 1t had