Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1908-03-02
@ THE FIGHTING INSTINCT.
Denver Man Tells Of Cases Where IT
Was Displayed by Animals.

I'm All out-Of-the-Wa valley over on
the western slope where spent several
weeks this summev l saw two ranch
animals, a horse and a Cotswold buck.
each of which had won name and fame
by a fighting exploit" said Denver
business man the other day. 1.-The first
was a horse called Ginger, owned by
nv friend John Cuthell. at whose ranch
I was staying. He was a spirited but
docile animal, a cross between tfc
bronco and fine Kentucky running
stock, and rode him hundreds of miles
during my stay in the mountains. Four
years before, when a three-year-old
colt, Ginger had killed a full-grown
bear. Nobody saw the fight. which took
place in pasture out of view from
the ranch house. 1t was in the early
spring, when bears are particularly
bold and hungry, and this bear had
evidently been starved out Of the upper
levels and had come down into the val
ley ready to tackle anything that 1t
could kill and eat. 1t struck Cuthelrs
ranch first.
THE cattle were all down at the
lower end of the valley, but the colt
had been turned into the pasture for
the afternoon for exercise, and there
the hear found him. When Cuthell
went out near shutdown to drive the
colt back to the corral he saw the bear
lying dead in the pasture. He did not
think OF the colt as having anything 10
do with the bears death until on en-
amining the body he saw no sign OF
a bullet wound. but the animal had
hled q little 1T the nostrils. This drew
Cuthelrs attention to the bears nose,
which had been actually crushed by
terrible blow delivered just above the
snout. One long scratch made by flVe
claws down the colts haunch showed
how closely the bear had pressed nun,
when Il lucky kick, fair or the nose, the
bears sensitive point, where hard
blow is almost certain to Kill, had
bowled the bear over.
AT the head of the valley man
named Murdoch, Scotchman. had
ranch on which he raised hieh-grade
sheep for mutton. Among the bucks In
his flock was q big Cotswold whose
temner had become quee"ed with adj
vancing wears. He was so savage, in
fact. that he was dangerous TO the other
bucks. and the herdsrlen were afraid Of
him; but as he was q specially valuable
animal for breeding purposes his owner
continued to keep him. On one side Of
the range a creek winds along the
mountains base, at the bottom of
gulch from thirty to forty feet deep,
with perpendicular sides. At one place
& path had been made down TO
the creek so that stock could be driven
down to water.
when August came round last year,
the time when the mutton sheep fed
on mountain grass is the Juicest, Muir
docks fat Cotswold began 10
tally short, and he found that lie was.
losing from some cause about three
sheep o week. 1t was pretty clear that
they had not heen carried Off by VIII
animals ard his suspicious fell on
bad Mexican known as Poncho, VINO
was believed to have dealings n some
of the Colorado towns. A watch was
set. and the night that the robber was
first seen was the last OF the sheep
stealing On the day before the big
Cotswold buck, which was usually kept
tethered by himself, had broken loose
and Joined the other sheep.
1.-THE man detailed to Watch Tell
asleeD. He was awakened by commo-
ton in the flock and saw in the bright
moonlight man going toward the
match that had led down into the creek
with a sheep on his back. Before IN"
sleepy herdsman could get his firearms
to working the Cotswcll luck came
from the flock at a tremendous pace
heading straight as a bullet for the
sheen siealer. He caught him behind
at the brink of the gulch, and buck ana
thief ard stolen sheep all went over
the edge together The her isman ran
~ tra srot and saw the COtswoid, which
had lust swan out of a deep pool, shak-
ing the water from his fleece. AT the
edge of the stream Ponce lay on the
rocks. dead, with his neck broken, the
weight of the sheep strapped TO MS
shoulders having carried him down
head foremost. The Cotswold was UNI
hurt.-Denver Field and Farm.
VALUABLE HINTS.