Year: 1873

And now the COWS returned an,


looked complacently on, and the yer!


calves began to shake their heads il


the first vague instinct of the com


batativeness inspired by the battle O
the bulls. And the young lordlings o
the herd distended their nostrils ant
elevated their tails, but forbore any
interference. It was a duel a Eosstrance
A momentary relaxation Of the tremen
dous strain only resulted IN the shaggy
heads coming together again with a dull
thump, and a renewal OF the dogged
pushing which might have moved a
freight-train. It was . matter of lungs
and endurance, and the white froth be-
gan to drop in long tenacious strings
from their lips, and the red eyes to
glare dimly through what seemed
clots of blood. I could hear the Ia
bored breathing where I lay, and see
the tendons stand out across the thighs
and along the thick necks.


But this dead set of strength could
not last always. Every moment of time
was telling disastrously upon the shorter
wind and decaying strength of the old
crusader, who still fought for the loves
of his youth. His foot slipped, and
the intelligence of this slight disaster
seemed to reach his antagonist quicker
than flash of light. No gladiator
ever urged his advantage more sud
denly. There was huge lunge, a
sound of horns slipping upon each
other, spring forward, and the horn
of the younger bull had made a raking
upward stroke through his antagonists
flank. The fight now became brisk.
Again and again the old one turned and
tried to make the old stand of head to
head, and as often his more active an
tagonist caught him behind the shoulder.
With the red agony of defeat in his eye,
and the blood trickling from the long
wounds in his flanks, he still refused to
be conquered. With failing strength
and limbs which refused any longer to
serve him, he finally stood at bay, with
open mouth and hanging tongue, IN
able to fight and disdaining to retreat.
His antagonist pushed him, and he
yielded doggedly. He made no attempt
to shield his flank, and pitifully en-
dured all that came. The original plan
of non-interference was abandoned, and
the young lords gathered round him
and snorted and shook their heads, and
gave him an occasional dig in the ribs
by way of expressing their contempt
for him. The COWS came and snuffed at
him, and indulged in spiteful feminine
butts and walked away. Their manner
implied that they had always regarded
him as disagreeable old muff, and they
were glad he finally understood their
heartfelt sentiments in regard to him.


Through all this the old fellow stood
unresisting, whipped, but still obsti-
nate. Gradually they all left him to
himself, and the herd wandered further
away. He did not even look around :;
he was probably forced at last to accept
his sentence of Punishment, and go and
live as long as he could alone, and fight
his last fight with the coyotes, and die.


Bat that calf came out to see him
again. say that calf, because it seemed
to me the same that had brought on this
last unpleasantness, though for that
matter they are all alike. The calf
came and arched its back and paved,
and elevated its nine-inch tail in front
of him, and gave him to understand by
the plainest kind of language that it
held itself in readiness to give him a
most terrible drubbing, if he had not
already had enough. It was comical to
see him initiate the actions of his
seniors, while the poor old bull lid not
so much as look at him. But his calf
ship was inclined to push matters, and
finally made a pass which placed his
foolish head with considerable thump
against the soft part of the old mans
nose. Then he stood a moment with
the air of having hurt himself little,
and toddled off to his mother.


The old one did not move an inch,
and seemed hardly to notice this baby
ish persecution. But I suspect it broke
his heart He wandered limping and
slowly down towards the sedge, and L
lay there forgetful of the long army
musket beside me, regretting that there
had been no one else there to bet with
during the battle, or to stand up like
man and confirm this story afterwards.
The sun rose high over the prairie, the
wind veered, there was a sudden panic,
and the herd vanished beyond the hills,
leaving me to plod back to camp
Kansas Magazine