The age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1897-1902, 1899-01-29

desperate Combat
Even money that the lion lands clean
Knockout blow!" cried Bombay mer-
chant in an upper box. There were no taxi
ers. and tiger money became extremely
scarce around the ringside. The lion adj
vaneed, growing, flashing with his tail, and
evidently looking for a chance to deal one
decisive blow. The tiger reiterated, feint-
ing from side to side, till he felt his tail
brush the wood of the side wall. Then, just
as the lion rushed on, the tiger sprang high
in air and bounded cleanly over his enc
my's back, landing twenty feet away. There
was of applause, and the lion looked
Disguised.
Again the lion forced the tiger back to
the wall. This time instead of escaping
with leap. the tiger suddenly ran in, head
almost to the ground aiming for the lions
legs Atlas met him with a downward
whack which would have broken the neck
of bull, but did not even shake the tigers
head. Then they rose on their hind legs,
exactly as fighting dogs often seen to
do, and exchanged right and left swings for
at least three minutes, while the crowd
went wild with delight and cheered Ike
madmen.
Infghting did not seem to please either
combatant. When they broke away they
were scanned and gashed, and the blood was
landed three blows to the lions one, but
the lions swings evidently had much more
force in them, for the gashes in the tigers
hide were the deeper and apparently the
more enfeebling The tiger skunk away and
Rugged the wall, trying to regain his wind,
while Atlas, roaring furiously, stood his
ground in the center, the blood dripping
from twenty ugly wounds
After a few moments rest the tiger came
forward and began to circle round and
round the enemy. couple of short PUSHES
by the lion failed to effect anything, ana
the African monarch looked worried. See
ing an apparently favorable opening, ne
charged at the tiger, who darted out or
danger, and then, turning like bird upon
the wing, leaped upon the lions back. There
was another fearful struggle; the big bod
les now streaked with blood and brown
with dust, rolled half way across the ring,
and the lion shook himself free, delivering
one of his terrible right swings as the tiger
backed away. The jungle terror, staggered
by the blow, made off to a safe distance,
and then sat upon his launches, watching
and studying the effect of the last tussle
The lion had been badly mauled. Ihere
were two long rips across his BACK anu
blood streamed from deep tooth prints on
his shoulders. He was painting hoarsely,
and it was evident that his wind was not as
good as his adversary's. The tiger inspect
cd him moment, and then came c1rc1nS
on again. There was another bull-like rush
by the lion and the tiger met him fairy,
plying his claws like demon. When the
next breathing spell came, the lion, evil
IDENTIFY out of breath sank heavily to his
knees, while the tiger, his stripes obliter-
ated by the fast flowing blood, seemed far
the stronger of the two.
The Tigers Fight
1t was the tigers fight, and he knew it,
He sprang at the staggering lion, took
fearful chop on the nose without ninching,
and set his teeth in the Africans hairy
throat. They wrestled desperately, and the
lions heavy name saved him from suffoca-
ton. Great mouthfuls of the long coarse
hair catching in the tigers teeth not only
prevented him from getting death grip,
but SO materially interfered with his respi-
ration that he had to release his hold,
whereupon the lion swatted him tremen-
dous left upper-cut, and sent him tumbling
twenty feet away.
1t was evidently nearing the finish, de-
spite the ralying power and sindomitable
courage of the lion. He could hardly turn
to follow the motions of the tiger, and the
striped fellow, still strong upon his legs,
was again moving snakeike around his vic
tim. The tiger darted in, and the lion miss
ed Clean with both claws. Over they WENT
tically, and in less than forty seconds had
ripped the lions body fairly into shreds
Atlas, with one last effort, threw the tiger
off, strove to roar, fell PROSTATE On the
sand and died. The tiger had won, and the
Gaekwar had lost $1,000 rupees.
A Rupee is Worth AL out So Cents
A true sportsman is the Rajput prince.
He gave orders that the lion should be roy
ally buried, and that the tiger should be
given Il cage of honor in the menagerie OF
Baroda. Before he was fairly out of the
amphitheatre he was arranging details for
another match, and u match of fully as
much magnitude and scientihe interest AS
the one just decided.
Colonel Maitland, who had backed the IL
ger, spoke to the Gaekwar as the monarch
left his box.
what do you think of lions and tigers
now, your highness?"
1.-THE tiger is, l must acknowledge, king
of the cat family" replied the prince,
counting out his money.
but not of the carnivorae.' asserted the
colonel.
"Indeed?"
II can prove it. have hunted in the
Rocky mountains and must frankly state
that the grizzly bear can whip any tiger
that ever trod a nullah."
And without more parleying another COM
bat was arranged. 1t is to come off at Ba-
roda on February l, and is to be between
the finest tiger the Gaekwar can buy and
the most powerful grizzly within the reach
of Colonel Maitland's resources. The Gaek-
war it is understood, will rely upon the
victor of the recent battle, who should be
fully recovered from his wounds long be-
fore the date set for the second tussle,
while Colonel Maitland is reported to have
procured, through American friends, ST.
ezra grizzly weighing more than 1900
pounds, with claws longer than the fingers
of a full-grown man. Invitations to the
battle are eagerly sought by all the sport
ing bloods of India and the Gaekwar's big
amphitheatre will be hardly adequate for
the crowd which is sure to come.
The Fight