The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1879-12-18

"oio 1uc dtilIcLo STlnHeU, anu per-
mitted his rival to regain his equilibri-
um, and then stood still, waiting for the
senal. But Juanito was on his guard
this time, evaded the waist grip and
disengaged his neck by screwing his
head through, using his chin as a leyer,
and his nape and occiput as sliding
tulcrum. After trying in vain to get a
body hold from below, Don Rivas
changed his tactics, and complicated his
eyolutions by feints and an aggressive
use of his knees but Master Juan could
not be tripped and repaid his adversa-
rvs thrusts by butting his stomach.
During the first six rounds Rivas had no
fair chance to bring his superior strength
into play; the mozo's head proved un-'
tenable, and he obviated all attempts at
his waist by movement which French
wrestlers call garde a coude- elbow
parrying. His chin-and -nape trick
seemed to answer variety of emergen-
cies, and he might have sue
ceeded in protracting the match be-
yond the regulation time of 40. minutes
if his long impunity had not betrayed
him into occasional offensive maneuvers.
Stimulated by the applause of his coun-
trymen, and perhaps by an injudicious
suggestion of his second, he changed
his position before the seventh round,
and at the word "Va!n had his man
round the leg and attempted to trip him
by jerking his foot up and throwing
himself back with his full weight.
Catch as catch can, strike where you
please, but don't kick, is the rule of the
Mexican wrestling ring .-s.
Don Gil seemed to yield, but in
stumbling forward bore down upon his
aggressor in a way that obliged him to
clutch his arm in order to save himself
from an underfall. In the next moment
he had him around the waist, and, dis
engaging his right arm with a sudden
wrench, he bent the mozo backward till
his knee-joints gave way, and, in spite
of his desperate writhing and plunging,
the youngster was prostrated ON his ma
tive soil in front of his black-eyed
inamoratas. sF4NyC> ~
That made them even, and the pos
session of the 10. onzas now depended
on the result of The third match-echar
hnzas, javelin-throwing-an exercise
which the six lancer regiments of the
regular army and the use of the hunt
ing-spear among the half-savage Indi-
ans have made very popular in Mexico.s
The target was the skull of a goat stuck
on short pole, distance sixty yards.
By agreement of the seconds the athlete
used a short, heavy spear of polished
lockwood, while the mozo preferred the.
Government regulation lance, which
had won him weekly victories on the
parade-ground at the CASTILLO, Their
proficiency in the use of these archaic
implements would have won the ap-
plause of Turkestan robber-knight
and thrown Maurice Thompson into
ecstasies. t-- 5s~ efa~~--r -4a
The mozo's friends were confident Of
victory, and even his former rivals, the
soldiers of the garrison, cheered up
roariously when he knocked the target
down at the first throw. But the from,
tiersman showed that he had not lived
among the Comanehes in vain, for at
the end of the first two rounds each
lanzero had scored one square hit and
one "graze;" and, when the attendant
chulos returned them their missiles, the,
spectators leaped from their seats and
crowded to the front, with, utter disre-a
gard of civil rights and female privileges.
The ring-master vociferated, girls
clambered on the shoulders of their gall
lants, and even the priests and foreign
residents were in a state of fierce excite
ment.@ Juanito declined the first throw.
so did his rival but, before the seconds
had found their dice-box, Don Gil had
changed his mind and stepped to the
front, spear in hand, with the sangfroid
of an old stager. las ;.sg .a.Ii7as ..r
His javelin touched, but failed to stir,
the target and the silence became
breathless when the mozo squared him
self for the decisive throw. He paused
on hearing his name called; his second
had seen his arm tremble, made his way
through the crowd with a bottle of
aguardiente, and offered him glass per
darle firmeza-to steady himself if his
nerves should be in need Of it. But
Juanito, smarting under the sting of his
late defeat, declined the offer with an
impatient gesture, and again poised his
lance. His hand trembled visibly, and
once more his second challenged him,
but before any one could interfere he
leaned back and let drive..it i,-.~fsrI ]
The lance darted through the air with
an audible whizz, a little too high, as it
seemed, but coming down in a flat curve
it struck the jaw-bone of the strange
target fair and square. The skull spun
round like a top, and when it fell the
men of Perote rushed upon their cham
pion like crew of Sumatra pirates,
snatched him up and dragged him away.
Regardless of his modest protests, Of
the shower of bouquets and the pouting
of disappointed lips, they rushed him
off to the rear of the cireus-tent, where
the manager had left splendid roam
stallion as security for the payment of
the. 10 onzas, and, amid shouts that
were echoed by the cliffs Of the Sierra
Madre, they lifted him up and upon the
horse, which, though wild with terror,
could not stir a leg In the crowd that
pressed around it in compact mass.
sc Did he like the horse? Would he pre-
fer it to the cash?" The owner valued
it at % onzas, but the collection was
taken up in minute, and the multitude
surged back, dragging horse and rider