The new North-west. [volume] (Deer Lodge, Mont.) 1869-1897, 1881-12-02
BULL FIGHTING IN SPAIN.
An Italians Description Of the Famous Amuse-
meat.

The following extract from . book On
"spain," by Edmunds de Amicis, an ita''eh
gentleman, will be read with interest:
Amer the King hsd arrived-vithou' tue
Queen, however, fer she had oscemihs
horror OF the spectscle-the BRILLIANT cA'Af
cade Of pIcadores, toeros, and the hunief-
ous assistants In the sport enter the Arena
and parade before the multitude. Wheh
most of these except the mounted picaosre'
have Withdrawn, ''the trumpet SOUNDS INC
door opens and an enormous Dull aAsnes
int the arena; n tremendous shout burs"
:. this moment from ten thousand breasts 10
greet him, and the massacre begins. Ii
this first stage of the fight the poor horses
are the principal sufferers, and 1t Is just rs
we'll TO pass on to the secsndless horrible en-
counter:
Ao.r the picadores came the banderilleros.
For the profane, this is the part OF the spec
tscle most amusing, because least cruel
The bsnderillas are arrows, two palms In
isnetb. ornamented with colored paper, iur-
nished with metallic point, made In such
a way that snce stuck in the flesh they can
not be detached, and the bull, struggling
and shaking himself, only drives them fur-
thar I'm. The banderillero takes two OF ths
darts, one in.each hand, and goes and taxes
bis stand about fifteen PAGES froH the bull;
then raising his arms, and shouting, ne pro-
yokes HIM to the assault. The bull dahes
toward him; the banderillero In his turn rams
tswsrd the bull; the latter lowers Its head
10 run It's horns into his body, and the man
plants the banderillss in his neck, enc here
and one there, and, with rapid whirl, saves
bimseIf. III he bends, II his foot slips, II ne
besitates an instant he will be pierced like
toad. The bull bellows, snorts, leaps and
berins following the capeadores with ter
rible fury; In moment all have sprung into
the walk; the arena is empty; the wild
beast, with foaming nostrils, bloodthirsty
eyss. neck streaked with blood, stamps the
ground, struggles, strikes the barrier, de-
mands revenge, wishes to kill, and Is thirst
ing for q massacre; no one attempts to con-
front hin; the spectators fill the air with
cries:
aForward couragew
The other banderillero advances, plants his
arrow, then third, then snce more the first.
That day eight were planted; when the peer
brute felt the last two be uttered . long bel
low, sgonized and horrible, and dashed after
one Of his enemies, followed him TO the bar
rler, took the leap with him and fell int the
walk. The ten thousand spectators arose to
heir test in an instant, crying. "He has
killed himi" But the bsnderillero had es
saped. The bull ran backward and forward
between the two barriers, under shower of
blows with sticks and fists, until he reached
m open door which led into the arena. The
door was closed behind as he passed
through It. Then all the banderilleros and
all the capeadores dashed toward him AGAIN;
one, pass ing behind him, pulled his tail, and
disappeared like lightning; another, rushing
past him, dropped his capa around his horns;
. third had the audscity to 60 and take Oh
with one hand the little silk ribbon which
was attached to the name; fourth, bslder
than all, planted pole in the ground while
the bull was running, and took . leap, pass
ing ever him and falling on the other side,
throwing the pole between the legs Of the as
tonished animal. All this was done with
The rapidity Of magicians and the grace Of
ballet dancers, Just as If they were playing
with q lamb. Meanwhile the immense
crowd mace the circus resound.with laugh
Ter, applause and cries Of joy, surprise and
terror.
Another trumpet sounds; the panderil-
lerss have finished; now comes the espsda's
turn. II Is the solemn moment, the crisis Of
the drama; the crowd becomes silent, the
ladies lean out Of their boxes, the King rises
70 his feet. Frascuelo, holding in one hand
his sword and the nuletts, which is piece
Of red stuff attached to little stick, entes
the arena, presents himself before the royal
boz, raises his cap, and consecrates to the
King, in pronouncing some poetical phrase,
the bull which he is going TO kill, then
throws his cap into the air, rs II to say, 81
will conquer or die!" and, followed by the
the superb cortege Of capeadores, he moves
with resoluts step toward the bull. Here
follows . genuine hand-to-hsnd struggle,
worthy Of canto by Homer. On one side
the animal, with Its terrible horns, Its enor-
nous strength, Its thirst for blood, maddened
BY pain, blinded by fury, surly, bleeding
and frightful; on the other youth Of twen-
", dressed like ballet dancer, alone, with
out any means Of defence save the light
sword In his hand. But he has ten thousand
Chances fastened upon himi The King Is
preparing gifti His sweetheart is up there
In box with her eyes fixed upon himl A
thousand ladies tremble for his life! The
bull stops and looks ut him; he looks 1t the
bull, and waves his red cloth before him; the
bull dashes under IL, the espads steps aside,
the terrible horns Craze his hip, hit the cloth,
and strike empty space. A thunder Of ap-
.planss bursts from al the seats, boxes and
galleries. The ladies lsok on with opera
glasses, and cry, "Hs has not psled!' Then
follows silence; not voice nor . whisper
Il, heard. The audacieus torere waves the
mulstta several times before the eyes Of the
Infatuated animal, passes 1t over his head,
between his horns, around his neck; makes
him rsceds, advance, turn, jump; provokes
attack ten times, and ten times by slight
movement escapes death. He lets his mu-
lstta fall, picks II up under the eyes Of the
bull, laughs In his face, provokcs him, In
suits him and amuses himself. Suddenly he
stops, puts himself on his guard, raises his
sword, takes aim; the bull looks 1t him; an
other instant, and they win dash 1t each
other; one Of the two must die Ten thou
sand glancss run with the rapidlty Of light
ming from the point Of the sword to the end
u the horns; ten thousand hearts beat with
anxiety and terror; every face ID motionless;
not . breath Is heard; the immense crowd
seem pstrifed; another instsnt-the moment
has arrived The bull dsshes forward: the