The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1907-01-13
A BATTLE ROYAL
How Stallion and Buck Fought Blind
ly to the Death.

About 3 o clock in the morning. at
that mystic hour when nature seems 10
send a message 10 all her animate chll:
dren, preparing them for tho advent or
dawn, the white stallion got up, shook
himself, stepped softly down to the
brook S ege for drink, and then fell
TO cropping the grass. wherever II re,
a careless car it might have seemed as
silent as before. had in reality stirred
to sudden ephemeral life, Far off,
from some high rock she wolf barked
sharply. Faint, muffled chirps from the
thick bushes told of junkos and chicka-
oees waking up to see if all was we'll
with the world. The mice set 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 moving
shadow, saw the stallion first, and
stopped with a loud snort of astOnish
ment and defiance. The stallion
wheeled about, eyed the intruder for
a moment doubtfully, then trotted up
with a whinny of pleased interroga-
tion. He had no dread Of the antlered
visitor, but rather n hope of compan-
ionship in the vast and overpowering
loneliness Of the alien night.
The buck, however, was IN anything
but friendly mood His veins ahame
with the arrogant pugnaclty 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 language.
Ipnocently he came up, his nose
stretched out in question, till he was
within few feet of the motionless
buck. Then. to his astopishmcnt. the
latter bounced suddenly aside like
ball, stood straight up on his hind
legs, and struck at him like lightning
with those keeu-edged, slim fore-hoofs.
1t was R savage assault, and two long,
red furrows-one longer and deeper
than the other-appeared on the stall
lion IS silky, white flank.
In that instant the wanderer s
friendhness 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 sprong at his assailant. But
the buck had no vain idea of standing
which he had evoked He bounded
aside, lightly but hurriedly, and
watched tor an opportunity 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
disastrous teeth The buck was await
ing what he felt sure would come, the
chance TO strike again; and his conf
dence in his own supreme agility kept
hlm from any apprehension as to the
outcome of the fight
But the buck g great weakness lay
in his ignorance, his insufficient knowl-
edge of the game he was playing He
had no idea that his rushing white an
tagonist had any other tactics at com
mand, When he gave way, therefore,
be went Just far enough to escape the
feet. The stallion, on the other hand,
soon realized the futility of his present
method of attack against so nimbe an
adversary. On his next rush. there
fore, just as the buck bounced aside
he wheeled in a short half circle, and
lashed ont high and far with his steel
shod heels, The buck was Just within
the most deadly range of the blow.
He caught the terrific impact on the
base of the neck and the forward
point of the shoulder and went down
MS If an explosive bullet had struck
him. Before he could even stir TO rise
the stallion was upon him, trampling.
ni'1c ~ X squS"iinS, pltIhR Ildulyi 5hu
the fight was done. When the wander
er had spent his vengence, and paused,
snortipg and wild-cyed, to take breath,
he looked down upon a maugled shape
that no longer struggled or stirred or
even breathed, Then the last Of his
righteous fury faded out The sight
and smell OF the blood sickened him.
and in kind Of terror he termed away.
For few hesitating moments he
stared about his little retreat and then,
hnding 1T had grown hateful to him,
he forsook it and pushed onward on the
edge Of the stream between the black.
impending walls of the forest.-Charles
ID. q. Roberts i'll the Century