Rensselaer Republican, Volume 19, Number 3, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 23 September 1886 — The Great Animal Fights in Cashmere. [ARTICLE]

The Great Animal Fights in Cashmere.

The animal fights formed part of the festivities in connection with the installation of the Maharajah of Cashmere. Two huge water buffaloes, with ropes on their feet and a dozen men at each rope, were introduced to each other, the crowd closing around them to within a few feet. Neither animal required any urging, but put his head down at once and butted. The shock of the opposing skulls rang like the sound of a hatchet on wopd across the arena. Then both brutes laid head to head, and pushed, and grunted, and pawed, and sweated for five minutes, the crowd yelling madly meanwhile. The lighter weight was forced back into the crowd, recovered himself, butted again, turned sideways, and was again forced back. After a few minutes more, when each animal was settling down to his work with wholehearted earnestness, the order was Sveu to separate them, and very rectantiy the gigantic mussucks were hauled in opposite directions. Next came the fighting rams, spotted and shaven beasts, with Homan noses and rowdy visages, straining away from their owners, and all apparently spoiling for a fight. Two or three couples were let go together, ran back to gather way, came on and met; ran back, charged again, and repeated the performance till the sound of their foolish colliding heads was almost continuous. After the first few minutes, when you begin to realize that neither animal is likely to fall down dead, ram fighting is monotonous. Sometimes a ram runs back to his charge valiantly enough, and midway in the outset loses heart, turns tail to his antagonist, and flees to his master. The adversary, being a beast of honor, immediately pulls up and trots back to his master. One light-limbed doomba with red spots seems to be the champion of Jummu. His charge generally upsets his antagonist at once, and few of the rams care to stand a second. As soon as all the rams had been disposed of, certain vicious shrieks and squeals gave evidence that the horses were being got ready, and the police set about widening the ring. Presently a bay galloway and a black pony danced out, dragging their attendants after them at the end of a long rope. The instant they were let go they ran openmouthed at each other, turned tail to tail, and kicked savagely for five minutes at each other, the black suffering the most. Then, after the manner of horses all the world over, they turned around and closed, each striking with his fore feet and striving to fix bis teeth in the other’s crest. They squealed shrilly as they boxed, and finally rose on end—a magnificent sight—locked in each other’s arms. The bay, loosing his hold on the black’s poll, made a snatch at the black’s near foreleg, which was at once withdrawn. Both horses then dropped to the ground together, and kicked and bit at close quarters, till the bay fled with the black after him through the crowd. The saices at the end of the drag ropes were knocked over, scrambled up, and caught at the ropes again, while the two maddened brutes plunged and struggled among the people. About half a dozen people were knocked over and shaken, but no one was hurt; and, after wild clamor and much running hither and thither, both bay and black were caught, blindfolded, and led away to reappear no more. — Homeward Mail.