A TERRIBLE BATTLE.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXXI, Issue 9479, 7 April 1894, Page 10 (Supplement)

A TERRIBLE BATTLE.

FIGHT BETWEEN A BULL AND A

STALLION. A farmer at Bush Creek, Illinois, owned a fine Durham bull and a stallion of good breed. He had always turned his bull and stallion into the same lot, and there was apparently the best of feeling between them. Suddenly, however, the bull began frantically cavorting around the barnyard. The stallion for a time looked on in apparent consternation at the queer antics of his erstwhile sober friend, and then ho began trotting around after the infuriated animal as it ran from one side of the enclosure to the other. t*.

Finally, the bull, after almost exhausting itself in an effort seemingly to throw something off his body, suddenly turned and made for the stallion. The new tactics of the bull took the horse by surprise, and it was only after his flank had been severely gored that he realised the situation, and then began a battle that would have thrilled the heart of a Spanish bull-fighter. The stallion made no attempt to kick, but struck viciously with his fore feet and tore great quivering chunks of flesh out of the bull with his teeth. The terrific roar of the battle brought the farmer from an adjoining field, but he knew it meant death to venture into the yard. At last, after struggling all over the yard, the bull made one grand rush, catching a horn in the horse's groin and disembowelling it. The noble animal sank to the ground with a groan &nd expired. The bull staggered away a short distanee and fell.

The farmer then ventured in. The bull was still living, and wrapped closely about one of his hina legs he discovered the cause of all the trouble. It was a little black snake about two feet long, which had coiled about the animal's leg and caused it such frantic terror that it completely lost its head. The snake showed no disposition to move and was killed where it was. The bull was so badly wounded that it was shot.