The Wilmington daily Republican. (Wilmington, Del.) 1890-1902, 1899-04-17
THE WILD HORSE WON
BUT HE PAID FOR THE VICTORY WITH
HIS OWN LIFE.

In North Carolina ran across a GROVE
OF 100 excited mountaineers and asket
one OF them the reason for the meeting.
WAL, stranger, there's goin TO com,
of right away the gosh durndest Ugh
you ever saw. It's ole Jim Bells stalyur
that's goin to lambaste Sam Carriers two
big bars an let me tell you stran ger, 1,
will DO fight to 'member for many
year, an I'm a-bettin on the stalyun.
There amt no livin critter on four legs
can down him. That stalyun's wiped out
half dozen bars, killed painter an near
bout cleaned out this creek Of men an crit
ters the hast year. He's dang'us as din.
mite, an nobody can handle him 'oeptin
Hole Jlni.s boy.
''Wherscan Iand this terrible animals'
Right over there in that pen,' replied
my Informant, pointing to u big stockade
Of heavy timbers
When climbed up and stood upon
wide shelf or string Of logs which extend
ed entirely around the TO foot stockade
and looked over at the occupant of the
pen, Twas forced to confess that the hunter
had not exaggerated at least 60 far ms the
horse was concerned. The animal looked
upon was wild stallion Of tho mountain
breed common in the highlands of North
Carolina.
Although not above AN hands In
height, he was certainly tho most vicious
and savage looking brute of the equine
species had over looked at. He was black
as coal, with long name and tail and
with limbs Of pcrfeot symmetry, and but
for the manner in which he rolled his eyes
and curlod his lips above his long, glsten-
ing teeth as no snapped at the people on
the shelf he would have been perfect
beauty. As 1t was, his actions showed
him to be incarnate.
had scarcely taken all this in when
four men came up leading two tremen-
dous bears, either Of which would have
tipped the scale at 400 pounds The crowd
followed, and almost before tho men had
opened two small gates at the bottom OF
the stockade to let the bears In human
belt encircled the stockade. The bears
were let in at opposite Sides and almost in
flash there began the most terrific and
bloody battle had ever seen.
The bears had barely time to stra lghten
up after their entrance before the black
stallion gave snort of rage and bounded
toward the big bear, which stood almost
below my feet. Bruin saw him coming
and rose to his hind feet, his little yellow
eyes swapping with rage and hunger The
horse was too quick for him, however, for
before the bear could strike with his pow
erful arms the stallion reared up, drove
both forefeet squarely into the bear S face
and neck, knocking him six feet away.
Wheeling like lightning, the enragcd
stallion gathered to kick, but before he
could launch out bear No. 2 camo up on 2
gal!op, and just as the horses heels left
the ground the bear gave quick snap,
catching the hide about foot above the
tetlock and tearing away strip of hide
foot long and an Inch in width. With
scream Of rage and pain the horse bound.
ed into the air. clear over tho bear, and
whirled, 1t appeared, so quickly was it
DONE almost in mldar, and before No. ?
could face about tho stations sharp teeth
closed over one Of Its cars.
A snap a rip of tearing flesh, and one
ear and big piece Of hide were gone. The
bear, growing with rage, was on its hind
feet in second, but only in time to catch !
a vicious kick with both hind feet, which |
sent it over Oh Its back. As BEFORE the
horse was compelled to whirl about to face
q second enemy, for bear No ! had got on
Its feet and was rushing to the fray.
Then, for two Or three minutes 1t appear
cd, but which probably was not much
more than as many seconds, there was
mix up Of hide, hair and heels, mingled
with growls, savage snorts and swapping
teeth.
One bear was down and badly hurt.
The other bear, No. 2, was bleeding pro.
fuscly about the head, and one of his legs
seemed to bs crippled. As for the stallion,
he was fearfully torn OH every one of his
Jour legs.
But before I could take in the full ex.
,ent Of injuries given and received by the
hreo fighters they were all again on the
move The bears this time separated to
attack tho stallion from different quarters,
,ut tho horse whirlcd and charged direct
y at one Of them, and as the bear attempt
ID to gain his hind feet he wheeled and
aunched both hind hoofs with sicken-
ng thud against his ribs. could plainly
lear the snap Of broken bones as the bear
oppled over, but before the stallion could
lodge or throw up his head out of rench
10. 2 struck him on the nose with his
laws.
Down went both, hoofs and claws fly
ng. A seco,.d after, the horse, which now
eemed q mass Of torn and bleeding flesh,
bounded into the air and came down with
III four feet on his PROSTATE foe, crushing
zone, flesh and muscle beneath. Then,
carcely giving his dying foo a glance, the
razed stallion sprang at his other enemy,
Who was trying vainly to regain his feet.
again the stallion sprang into tho air,
With his four feet gathered into bunch,
nd again there was sickening crunch
I bone and flesh. Both bears were now
ead crushed and kicked into two bloody
masses of wool, bono and flesh.
After his last dash the horse walked
way few steps, then, turning, staggered
p to the first bear he had knocked out
melt down and literally tore skin and
esh from tho bears body; then with
loody head and glistening teeth tho saw
ge brute managed to stagger over to the
ther mass of wool and flesh, which rs
erved in the same manner.
After tearing and battering the body
alto mass of broken bones and mangled
esh, the stallion tossed his head, from
'hich tho bloody foam flew in long flecks,
ave neigh Of triumph and fell lifeless
} tho ground. The stallion had won the
attic, but 1t had COST him his lifc.-Phila.
elphia Press
All by Accident.
edo you think 1t proper" said tho man
Tho was trying to keep his temper "to
gyh at ho eli rcp lnN |