WONDERS OF THE WILD.

Auckland Star, Volume XLII, Issue 24, 28 January 1911, Page 13

WONDERS OF THE WILD.

(All Eights Reserved.)

' THE EED BULLr :OF THE RANGES." :• '■.'.. (By Will:laweon.)';■■-■ .; .;The- ißed'Bull, iris massive proportions displayed -in silhouette '■ against the sunset sky, walked heavily; to-.the crest of a liill-epur that dipped euddenly away to the' valley. Scattered about the hillside, on the eteep siding 3,; in the native bush, in the swell-grassed saddles between round knots, moved slowly abqut the cows and calves, young- steera, and Tieifers, composing the Herd of wild cattle' of which the Red BiiH wiS King. His ancestors and theirs had'broken 'away iby ones and twoa from -the paddocks and herds of the settled lands and taken "to'the" bush and wild liills from wnich retreat it was hard for men to reclaim' them without much!

expenditure of time and energy, and in the mob there were none of these runaways remaining, though here and there a branded hade told of a aew xecruit to

the. ranks—a beast" that had broken fences or .wandered irom ,unfenced land

until it -had scented its kind here in the hills. And then the bellowing, of the ■wanderer, asking: for cpmpanionship, had brought the Red Bull of the Ranges to ccc who called, and alter he had-bellowed •his welcome to admit the'stranger into the herd. ; " :. ; " •;■ \'~ :■•. .-•

But the call that brought the Bed Bull to the hill-spur that overlooked the valley was not the bellow of a suppliant, nor the -voice -of a. lonely cow. It was a, challenge, the -deep-throated, roar of a. bull. At its third sounding some of the Red Bull's " cows came to gaze through' the twilight; and one, " the Brindle cow, theRed Bull's favourite, sent a soft-toned musical call to the challenger down in the gloom. At this the Red Bull stamped his forefeet and bellowed again and again until the echoes roared and rumbled. With horns he drove the cows from his : vantage ground and. the two 'bulls exchanged compliments until the moon rose in the scarcely-dark-ened sky. With a last hoarse roar the Red Bull turned away. He took the path that led down to the bushed valley-flats-that flanked the,river and 4he*herd, in scattered order, went >vith him. The brindled cow that was the Red Bull'sfav"ourite walked "close at his heels." *.

When the herd had drank they crossed the river, some moving away into the bush ami others seeking the eloping' hillside." The Red Bull* and the Brindled Cow walked slowly towards a' clearing in the bush where the'grass'grew long and green and the top. soil was ■wet with cent train.. When the Red Buil came into the open he stopped, and thrusting forward and onward his great muzzle he ■bellowed the challenge to that other •bull which he had .not seen, but whose great daring had' brought ■ him here to defy the King of this Wilderness. '

I A 'hoarse answer came, fierce and uh-1 afraid. The bush on the far-off side of the clearing crashed and crackled. Young trees swayed a.3 the stranger, making his own path, headed to meet the Red. Bull. From out the dark bush into the moonlit open he came, a bull as black as long white thorns.' Hβ paused as'he'saw the Red Bull, arid looked toward the .bush where the ci>w» were morving nearer. T^en'ie.thrust forward 5 his., jblaffk head; "arid cut -his , short ibellow.' The : brindle cwt answered again in the same'musical 'bet low. The Red Bull, who was walking slowly towards, the intruder, tftioke into a run across the;hundreft yards of inter-1 vening level ground.' The o;thei\ bull ran to ,bert him. With' Iqwered heads ant snorting'nostriis their thick-skulled heads ,crashed together, and the" trails—the fiery lord of'the, wilderness, Ughier .of scores of 'battles- .'before;and since he::attained; his kingship,' and the powerful, well-fed/ immensely ■heavier black 'buil; of : the settled lands; but nohe-the less fierce-b----locked: .* ftorris , and'•'."unlocked"them, ploughing up the eoft, earth and grass' with their restless, pushing feet. All Jiie strength each one concentrated into the effort to push his 'adversary so that; he would 'lose.-his 'balance,, and;thento wound* him,- and possibly; throw, him, -when -the sharp -horns of- the victor would inflict much damage. ' But' wo'rse than all' the damage; would' be the disgrace in the eyes of the watching cows which had drawn nearer, their wide, soft eyes iull of .interest '.iri."the fight: :.- : ..'' Short and hard 'came .the breath of the fighting bulls: The Black Bull coughed ,as the i Red Bull; suddenly pulled; back* to ■free the close-locked« horns,' nearly upsetting the balance of the stranger; Thenwith a- whir-r.-r of guttural sounds, "the Black Bull heaved his great strength forward. For the moment,' intent on freeing his horns, the Red Bull was driven backwards, retreating in a circle. But his experience told him -it was time he got- his horns clear.- He watched everybppbrtunity to do this, "and when at last' his head, so long twisted to" one side, met the other's'full on; he , pushed against the Black Bull's fury, then swiftly ran back a , few -steps. Like a tornado the Black Bull followed lip -this advantage in~a powerful rush, but in doing -so' fie slipped, but quickly recovered. The' Red Bull-was driven backwards again, still moving ; "iri a circle. He repeated his tactics: , "Again the bigger beast; charged" ruthlessly. But this time the slip was moire serious. One leg shot out sidewaysi the great beast sawyed and lurched for a recovery. Then the Red' Bull, of the Ranges, ' leaping swiftly to the. side,' freed his head,' and as the ; ojher half-fell, the. short horns '.of the wild bull gored the sleek; black flank, a long, shallow ripping of the skin that made the other bellow. Again the heavy, thick heads -were together; the ground in the clearing was tramped and churned by.the striving hoofs.. The Red Bull was now- a veritable- fury, his "wind -was ■better than his- adversary's, his- muscles were tougher, only 'in weight was' he the lesser. Once more.the horns locked, and, in clearing, one of the Bed Bull's short, curved' horns snapped off close.at the , head, and the flowing Wood showed dark in the moonlight. But, fighting doggedly, he forced the Black Bull to his knees, gored him severely in the shoulder, and with a ehort-length charge of lowered head, sent him scrambling, beaten, winded, disgraced. •■ Yet there ; was one cowt there that sided with the Black Bull ■—the brindle cow that had twice answered when the stranger bellowed. As he crashed through: the bush, bleeding and angry, she trotted away after him. She heard the Red- Bull's scornful bellow the wild bull's cry of victory, and knew that the other cows were gathering round iim. But she followed the stranger, and led him to the sweetest grass away from the, Red Bull's herd. And the Red Bull took the other cows up to the lower slopes, where the night was clear and warm, and there rested. , He was: sore in spirit, with the knowledge that down in the valley the strange Black Bull had stolen one of his herd. Perhaps on the morrow he would see-hiin-again. The* fight had been a. hard one, and he for:the time did not wish to renew it. ■

But on the morrow a strange thing happened. The .Black Bull and the Briridle" cow were feeding in the open level land far down the valleyy Tfchen

strange animals came which the Red Bull had never seen before. They were men on horseback, who had come''in search, of the - Black Bull,: which was a valuable animal, too good to let go to the wilderness. -They had whips which the Black Bull had learned to respect, but. which the Red Bull arid the hrindle ■ cow had never seen or heard of. The Red Bull saw the. whole. happening. . At the men's approach -the Black .Bull shrank away from tpean;. the brindle; cow stared ,in amazement, i: In a whirl of whips and horses and: men's voices the. Black Bull was rushed away', down the valley, with the cow. trotting,behind the riders, bellowing. But the Black Bull knew his masters. Then the brindle cow charged the men till the volleying whips met and staggered her. While four riien drove the Black Bull homeward, one rider "stayed and- held the brindle cow at bay. .Then the Red Bull on his hills saw a puff of smoke, heard the crack of a pig rifle, and saw the brindle cow kicking on her side, while the man rode away after his fellows. "".": ." .■■;-•■:-'•• •--•■...

For a long time the Eed Bull watched.: The brindle cow never stirred. So he called the rallying call of the herd, the hattle-cry of the bull of the wilderness! In ,a body the cattle went down to the dead brindle cow. They approached her carefully, trotting away and coming back again. At last the Red Bull went close and smelt- her. That was enough. His forefoot tore the, tiirf, his little eyes burned. The taint of blood was in his nostrils, the blood; of his kind. Every beast came and smelt the carcass, and their bellowings drowned the ..terrible voice of the Red Bull as he pawed- and foamed about the place.' Presently he gave a call of , cbminand; and galloped down "the valley and up to-the crest of-a ridge tliat overlooked the distant plain of bush and clear lands. The whole mob thundered after him, and it was well for. the riders that they were miles'away. Still ffie' cattle smelt. them, and for a long time stood in <l cluster, scanning the open lands. But they saw nothing. Arid soon the.. Eed Bull took them hack to. the, quiet valley, where they mourned and stormed • about the .fallen brindle cow that had once been .the lied Bull's favourite. '■..■-'. • .."•.. . .'. '..'..

"What'd you do .to that cow?" one of the stockmen asked, when they heard the distant bellowing.

. "Shot her; she, wasn't much good," the armed'"man answered. '.*

''. Yet there, was grief; grey and bitter, in the heart of :the Red Bull of the Ranges, anii a terror such as none of them had known before was in every beast in the Red Bull's herd. • . ■' . -