WONDERS OF THE WILD.

Press, Volume LXVII, Issue 13958, 3 February 1911, Page 8

WONDERS OF THE WILD.

A WILDERNESS KING

THE RED BULL OF THE RANGES

(WRITTEN" FOR 'THK I'llE^S.'')

(By Will L.vw.sox.)

The Red Bull, liis massive proportions displayed in silhouette against the sunset sky, walked heavily to the crest ! of a hill-spur that dipped suddenly away to the valley. Scattered alxnit the hillside on the stoop sidings, in the native bush, in the well-gras.scd saddles between round knots, moved slowly about the cows and calves, young steers, and heifers, composing the herd of wild rattle of which the Red Bull was King. His ancestors and theirs had broken away by ones and twos from the paddocks and herds of the settled lands and taken to the bush and the wild hills from which retreat it was hard for men to reclaim them without much expenditure of time and energy, and in the mob which owned the Red Bull tlufr lord, there were none of these runaways remaining, though here and there a branded hide told ot a new recruit to the ranjts—a beast that had broken fences or wandered from unfeneed land until it had scented its kind here in the hills. And then the bellowing of the wanderer, asking for companionship, had brought the Red Bull of the Ranges to see who called, and after he had bellowed his welcome to admit the stranger into the herd. But the call that brought the Red 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, the Ited Bull's favourite, sent a soft-toned musical call to the challenger down in the At this the Red Bull stamped his forefeet and bellowed again and again until the echoes roared and rumbled. With threatening horns he drove the cows from his vantage ground and the two bulls exchanged compliments until the moon rose in the scarcely-darkened 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 the herd, in scattered order, went with him. The Brindled Cow that was the Red Bull's favourite- walked close at his heels. When the herd had drunk they •crossed the river, some moving away into the bush and others seeking tlio sloping hillside. The Red Bull and the Brindled Cow walked slowly towards a clearing in the bush where the «grass grew long and green find the top soil •was "wet with recent rain. AVheii the Red Bull came into the open ho stopped, and thrusting forward and upward his great muzzle, he bellowed the challenge to that other bull which he had not seen, but whose great daring I had brought him here to defy the King of this Wilderness. A hoarse answer came, fierce and unafraid. The bush on the far-off side of the clearing crashed and crackled. Young trees swayed as the stranger, making his own path, headed to meet the lied Bull. From out the dark bush into the moonlit open he came, a bull as black as night, with long white horns- He paused as he saw the Red Bull, and looked towards the bush where the cows -were nearer. Then he thrust forward" his black head, and snapped out his fierce, short bellow. The Brindled Cow answered again in the same musical bellow. The Red Hull, who was walking slowly towards the intruder, broke into a run across the hundred yards of intervening level ground. The other bull ran to meet him. With lowered heads and snorting nostrils their thick-skulled heads crashed together, and tho bulls —-tiio fiery lord of the wilderness, fighter-of scores of battles before and since he attained bis kingship, and the powerful, ■well-fed, immensely heavier black bull of tho settled lands, but none the less fierce—locked horns and unlocked them, their feet ploughing up the soft earth and grass with their restless, pushing feet. All his strength each one concentrated into the effort to push his adversary so that he would lose his balance, "and then to wound him, and possibly throw him, which would be [ disgrace in the C3'es of tho watching cows which had drawn nearer, their wide, soft eyes full of interest in the fight. Short and hard came the breath of the fighting bulls. The Black .bull coughed as the Red uull suddenly pulled back to free the close-locked horns, nearly upsetting the balance i of the stranger. Then with a whifr-r-r of guttural sounds, the Black BuU heaved his great strength forward. For the moment, intent on freeing his horns, the Ited Bull was driven backwards, retreating in a circle. But his experience told him it was time he got his horn clear. Ho watched every opportunity to do this, and when at last his head, so long twisted to one side, met tho other's full on, he pushed against the Black Bull's fury, then swiftly ran back a fen- steps. Like a tornado the Black Bull followed up this advantage in a powerful rush. In doing so he slipped, but quickly recovered his balance. The Red Bull was driven backwards again, still moving in a circle. He repeated his tactics, Again the bigger beast charged ruthlessly. 1 But this time- the slip was more serious. One leg shot out sideways, the great beast swayed and lurched for a recovery. Then the Red Bull of the Ranges, leaping swiftly to the side, freed his head, and as the other half fell, tho 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 tho lesser. Once more the horns locked., and, in clearing, one of the Red Bull's short, curved horns snapped off close at the head, and the flowing blood showed dark in the moonlight. But, fighting doggedly, ho forced the Black Bull to his knees, gored him severely in the shoulder, and with a short-length charge of lowered head sent him scrambling, beaten, winded, disgraced. Yet there was one cow there that sided with the Black Bull, tho Brindled Cow that had twice answered when the stranger bellowed. As ho crashed away 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 him. But she followed the stranger, and led him to the sweetest grass away from the Red Bull's herd. And tho Red Bull took the other cows up to the lower slopes, where the night was clear and warm, and there rested. He wjik soro in spirit, with tho knowlodge that down in the valley the strange Black Bull had stolen one of hie herd. Perhaps on the morrow he would seek him 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 Brindled Cow were feeding in the open level land far down the valley, when 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 tho wilderness. They had whips which the Black Bull had learned to respect, but which tho Red Bull and the Brindled Cow had never seen or heard of. The Bed Bull saw the whole happening. At the men's approach the Black

Bui shrank away from them; the Bnndud Cow stared in amazement, in whirl of whips and horses and men's voces the Wlacii Jbull was ruined away down tne valley with the cow trotting behind the riders, bellowing. Jiut the Hlnck Bull knew his masters. Then the Brindled Cow charged the men till th" volleying whips m-et her and staggered her. While four men drove tue ijlaok Bull homeward one rider stayed and" held tho Brindle Cow at bay. Then the Rod Bull on his hihs saw a puff of smoke, heard the track of a j>;ir ntle, and saw the liriivdkd Cow kicking on her side, while the man rode away after his fellows. For a long time the Red Bull watched. The Brindled Cow never stirred. So he called the rallying call of the herd, the* battle-cry ot the bulls of the wilderness. In a body the cattle went down to the dead Brindled 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 tho turf, his little eyes burned. The taint of blood was in his nostrils, the blood of his kind. Every beast came and smelt the carcase, 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 command, and galloped down the valley and up to the crest of a ridge that 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 the cattle smelt them, and for a long time stood in a cluster scanning the e.;ven lands. But they saw nothing. And .«oon the Red Bull took them back to the quiet valley. where they mourned and stormed about the fallen Brindled Cowthat had once been the Red 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 pood,the armed man answered. Yet there was grief, grey and bitter, in the heart of the Red Bull of the Ranges, and a terror such as none of them had known l>ofore was in every beast in the Red Bull's herd.