Little Falls herald. [volume] (Little Falls, Morrison County, Minn.) 1889-1950, 1907-05-17
a STAIILION'S WRATH
BLIND FURY IN a BATTLE ROYAL
WITH A BUCK.
The Enraged Equine's Attack Only
Ceased When His High Antlered
Foe Lay a Mangled, Battered Mass
That No Longer Breathed.

roe Lay u NaH8ACus OuIteTeU N1aS0
That No Longer Breathed.
At about o'clock in the morning, at
that mystic hour when nature seems to
send a message to all her animate chill
dren, preparing them for the advent Of
dawn, the white stallion got up, shook
himself, stepped softly down to the
brooks edge for drink and then fell
to cropping the grass wherever it re-
NAMED green. The forest, though to
q careless ear it might have seemed
as silent as before, had in reality STIR
red to sudden ephemeral life. Far
off from some high rock a she fox
barked sharply. Faint, muftled chlrps
from the thick bushes told Of junkos
and chickadees waking up to see If all
was we'll with the world. The mice
get up scurrying 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 a moving
shadow, saw the stallion first and
stopped with loud snort of astonish-
ment and defiance. The stallion wheel
ed about, eyed the intruder for mo-
ment doubtfully, then trotted up with
a whinny Of pleased Interrogation. He
had no dread of the antlered visitor,
but rather 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 adame
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 challenge, but to the
stallion this was an unknown Ian
guage. Innocently he came up, his
nose stretched out in question, till he
was within few feet Of the motion
less 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.
It was a savage assault, and two long
red burrows, one longer and deeper
than the other, appeared on the stall
lions silky white flank.
In that instant the wanderers friend
illness vanished and an avenging fury
took it's place. His confidence had
been cruelty betrayed. With a harsh
sQueal, his mouth wide open and lips
drawn back from his formidable teeth,
he sprang at his assailant. But the
buck had no vain idea Of standing up
against this whirlwind Of wrath which
he had evoked. He bounded aside,
lightly, but hurriedly, and watched for
an opportunity to repeat his attack.
The stallion, however, was not to
be caught again, and the dashing fe-
rocity Of his rushes kept his adversary
ceaselessly on the move, bounding
into the air and leaping aside to avoid
those disastrous teeth. The buck was
awaiting what he felt sure would come
the chance to strike again-and his
confidence 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 knowl-
edge Of the game he was playing.
He had no idea that his rushing white
antagonist had any other tactics at
command. When he gave way, there.
fore, he went just far enough to es.
cape the stations teeth and battering
fore feet. The stallion, on the other
hand, soon realized the futility Of his
present method Of attack against sc
nimble an adversary.
! On his next rush, therefore, just as
the buck bounced aside, he wheeled ir
short half circle and dashed out higl
and far with his steel shod heels. The
buck was just within the most deadly
range Of the blow. He caught the ter
rifle impact on the base of the necl
and the forward point Of the shoulder
and went down as If an explosive bull
let had struck him. Before he couli
even stir to rise the stallion was upo1
him, trampling, battering, squealing
biting madly, and the fight was done
When the wanderer had spent his venge
ance and paused, snorting and wild
eyed, to take breath he looked dowl
upon a mangled shape that no longe
struggled or stirred or even breathed
Then the last Of his righteous fur!
faded out. The sight and the smell o
the blood sickened him, and In a kim
Of terror he turned away. For a few
hesitating moments he stared about hi
little retreat, and then, finding it ha.
grown hateful to him, he forsook i
and pushed onward on the edge 0
the stream between the black, impend
inR walls Of the forest.-Charles D. G
Roberts in Century.