A BUFFALO BULLFIGHT 



345 



slioi't. stout lioi'iis, instead <»!' Iicin^' 

 placed too hi,iih u]), as liad scciiicd, and 

 too J'ar back on the hisoiTs head to \n' 

 of an\' nsc, arc placed jnst la^lit. When 

 till' horns are brou^^lit into |)lay, the 

 sensiti\c nose is J'ar hack out <d' harm's 

 way. \'icious thrust was I'ollowcd hy 

 skillful parry, and the hlows fell fast 

 and hea\ily. "Black Dog" heat down 

 ".lohn Iverr's" guard and gored him in 

 the Jieck and shoulder. "John Kerr"" 

 stepped sideways, and right lively too. 

 but "Black Dog" kept up with him. 

 and for several seconds "John Kerr" 

 was unable to get away from those mer- 

 ciless, twisting horns of ebony. The 

 veteran fighter seemed to feel victory 

 ahead, but his adversary, who was 

 younger, longer winded, and more nim- 

 ble, evaded the weapons of his op])o- 

 nent, and charging, beat past his guard 

 and gave him a vicious side thrust in 

 the neck that brought a handful of hair. 

 This made the old monarch still more 

 angry, and he charged savagely while 

 "John Kerr" nimbly Avarded ofT the 

 blows with his horns. "]>lack Dog"" 

 charged again and again, but each time 

 his opponent received the l)lows on his 

 horns. Finally "Black Dog" tried to 

 push his adversary backward by means 

 of sheer brute strength and weight, and 



made some ])rogress — but at what fear- 

 ful cost ! Teai-ing up the turf as they 

 went, the mighty brutes traveled south- 

 wai'd about a (piaiMei- of a mile. 



""Black Dog's"" tongiu' was lolling; 

 his feet were leaden weights, lie had 

 entirely given u}) the offensive and tried 

 only to defend himself. "John Kerr's" 

 horns tore off bunch after bunch of the 

 kinky, chocolate-colored hair. Finally 

 his horns found "Black Dog's" shoul- 

 der and he goi'cd him mercilessly, but 

 so thick is the old bull's hide that 

 "John Kerr's" horns failed to bring the 

 blood. Poor old "Black Dog," with 

 lolling tongue and heaving sides, of- 

 fered no further resistance. He was 

 hopelessly whipped and "John Kerr" 

 was master of the herd. 



Even to this day "Black Dog" leads 

 the life of a hermit, and "John Kerr" 

 is absolute monarch over a realm of 

 eight thousand acres and a herd of 

 eighty-two buffaloes. But the monarch 

 of the herd today will be the hermit of 

 tomorrow. A younger and more pow- 

 erful bull will succeed "John Kerr," 

 just as he succeeded "Black Dog." The 

 herd may have a new leader with the 

 advent of this coming season, and 

 "'John Kerr" will have passed into 

 oblivion. 



-«"V"*% 



