The National tribune., 1906-12-06
A BATTLE ROYAL.
How Stallion and Buck Fought Blindly
to the Death.

to the Death.
(Charles d. G. Roberts's "a Stranger to
the Wild in the December Century,
that mystic hour when Nature seems
to send a message to all her animate
children. preparing them for the ad-
vent of dawn, the white stallion got up,
shook himself, stepped softly down to
the brooks edge for a drink, and then
fell to cropping the grass wherever it
remained green. The forest, tho to a
careless ear 1t might have seemed as
silent as before, had in reality stirred
to a sudden, ephemerai life. Far off,
from some high rock, a she fox barked
sharply. Faint, muffied chirps from the
thick bushes told of junkos and chicka-
dees waking up TO see If all was well
with the world. The mice set up a
scurryfng in the grass. And presently
a high-antlered buck stepped out of the
shadows and started across the open
toward the brook.
The dark buck, himself moving
shadow, saw the stallion first, and stopt
with a loud snort of astonishment and
defiance The stallion wheeled about,
eyed the intruder for moment doubt
fully, then trOtted up with a whinny of
pleased Interrogation. He had no dread
of the antlered visitor, but rather a
hope of companionship in the vast and
overpowering loneliness of the alien
night.
The buck, however, was In anything
but a friendly. mood. His veins afane
with the arrogant pugnacity of the rut-
ting season, he saw in the white stran-
ger only possible rival. and grew hot
with rage at his approach. With an
impatient stamping of his slim fore
hoofs he gave a challenge. But to the
stallion this was an unknown language.
Innocently he came up, his nose
stretched out in question, till he was
within few feet of the motionlesS
buck. Then, to his establishment, the
latter bounced suddenly aside like a
ball, stood straight up on his hind legs,
and struck at him like lightning with
those keen-edged. slim fore-hoofs. 1t
was savage assault, and two long, red
furrows-one longer and deeper than
the other-appeared on the stallion'sl
silky, white flank.
In that instant the wanderers friend
illness vanished, and an avenging fury
took its place. His confidence had been
cruelty betrayed. With a harsh squeal,
his mouth wide open, and lips drawn
back from his formidable teeth, he
n
had no vain idea of standing up against
this whirlwind of wrath which he had
evoked. He bounded aside, lightly but
hurriedIy, and watched for an oppor-
tunity to repeat his attack.
The stallion, however was not to be
caught again; and the dashing ferocity
of his rushes kept his adversary cease
lessly on the move, bounding into the
air and leaping aside TO avoid those
h,,a IL Il
ing what he felt sure would come. the
chance to strike again; and his conf
dence in his own supreme agility kept
him from any apprehension as to the
outcome of the fight.
But the bucks great weakness lay in
his ignorance, his insufficient knowledge
of the game he was playing. He had
no idea that his rushing white antag-
onist had any other tactics at COM
mand. When he gave way. therefore.
he went just far enough to escape the
Stallion's teeth and battering fore-feet. |
The stallion. on the other hand, soon
realized the futility of his present meth |
cd of attack against so nimble an ad-
versary On his next rush, therefore, |
just as the buck bounced aside, he
wheeled in short half-circle, and
lashed out high and far with his steel |
shod heels. The buck was just within
the most deadly range or the Dl0W. he |
caught the terrific impact on the base
of the neck and the forward point Of
the shoulder and went down as if an |
explosive bullet had struck him. Before
he could even stir to rise the stallion was |
upon him, trampling battering. squeal- |
ing, biting madly, and the fight was
done. When the wanderer had spent
his vengeance and paused, snorting and
wild-eyed, to take breath, he looked
down upon a mangled shape that no
longer struggled or stirred or even
Dreathed. Then the last of his right
eous fury faded out The sight ana
smell of the blood sickened him, and
in kind of terror he turned away For
a few hesitating moments he stared
about his little retreat and then. find |
ing it had grown hateful to him, he |
forsook it and pushed onward on the
edge of the stream, between the black, |
walls of the forest