Morris tribune., 1882-10-12
you grudged to me, even if l don't re-
ceive farthing more"
AT THE ARENA IN SPAIN.
Peculiar Sensations the Fights Give
To a Strangcr-Agony He is Made
To Suffer-Would You Go q Second
Tsrnn

To a Stranger--Agony He is Made
To Suffer-Would You Go Second
Time.
From the New York Times.
| have not yet ceased wondering at
that peculiar state of mind an American
would find himself N, had he, without
previous promptings been placed among
the spectators at a Spanish bull fight.
The arena is six times the size of our cir
Gus rings, and the ground is of hard,
beaten down sand, the whole circle sur
rounded by stone seats, one tier over the
other, with capabilities of holding 10000
people. The places for the. spectators
are separated from the arena by barri-
err, breast high, which forms walk be-
tween the arena and the seats. Into
this place of safety the bull-fghters
spring when too closely pursued by the
animal. You take your place and are at
once excited. Whether it be a feeling
of wonder or dread hardly know. You
conjure up all the horrible things you
may have seen or dreamed of, as if to
You think you ought not to have come
at all.
Half the arena, as I saw it few days
ago, is in the full blaze of the brilliant
sunlight and is a carnival of color. To
depict it an artists pallet would be i'm
possible, it is so rich with the varied
hues of shawls, gay dresses, startling
parasols and fluttering fans. The noise
is deafening, for everybody is talking or
laughing, and to add to the confusion
there is band At last.the noise of the
music ceases and we know that the hour
has come. Two men on horseback, in
costumes of the sixteenth century, enter
the arena. They ride across the ring,
approach the place where the dignatary
who presides over the bull-fghts is seat
ed, and, barring their heads, receive
permission to commence the dreadful
business. Slowly, as in state, they now
approach the entrance from which the
bull-fghters will come. Then out from
here energies the whole band of espadas,
picadors and bandarillos. This display
is suburb The men are clad in gorgeous
colors. They march across the arena to
the lodge ofthe president, bow low, and
then, ranging themselves about the sides
of the arena await the coming
of the bull. The keys Of the bull inclos-
ure are now thrown into the arena to be
deity caught by bull-fghter. He
marches slowly along, turns the key, and
a door glares on its hinges. Then you
feel your nerves vibrate, your muscles
contract. as you strain your eyes. There
is dead silence. In an instant bull
strides into the arena, and, with jerky
motion of head and flashing of tail, galres
at the SUNLIGHT. Ten thousand voices
greet him. The bull for a moment seems
dazed, but it is only for Il moment. At
once he seems to understand who are
his enemies, and with a vicious wave
ment plunges into the arena. The mas
sacre has begun.
You have dim conception of some
fierce assault between a man on gaunt
horse and a frantic bull. You are pos
tive that the bull has driven his horns
into the poor horse. There are hutter-
ings of cloaks and wild dashings of the
bull, and ten you see a bleeding, an
eviscerated horse, spurred and dashed
in pursuit Of the bull. You are sick
ened, you feel faint, and yet you are
horribly excited The bull dashes Wild
ly hither and thither, and you forget
about the horse. 1t is all the caparillos
can do to allude the rapid attacks of the
bull. Still they flop their cloaks in his
bloodshoteyes. They lead him toward
the picador. The bull is furious. Here
is something he evidently thinks which
cannot escape punishment Butyou see
the horse again, who, fallen on his side,
in his agony entangles his feet in his own
entrails. One brute tries to make the
horse stand up, only to be hurled over
again to the ground by the maddened
bull Sometimes as many as eight horses
are killed by one bull, and may remark
that the more horses killed the better
the Spaniard deems the show
A trumpet sounds and the bandarillos
are brought into the arena. The plea
doris retire and no doubt say pater or
an ave to their patron saint, praying to
live to see themselves mounted on more
horses whose entrails are to be ripped
out by bulls. The darts are now in the
bandariilos' hands. The bull has been
fretted enough; the bandarillos' duty
is to make him crazy. The band
arillos buzz around him like hornets,
and prick him with their darts
You wonder how it is all done. The
bull seems for an instant to have one
in hairs breadth of the bandarlllo,
and next you see the man untouched,
the bulls head high in the air, but his
neck fringed with darts. Fig, of these
darts are dangling now in his hide,
when the trumpet sounds once more,
and the muititudes yell for the espada.
The bull stands painting with streaming
sides. The espada steps into the ring,
places himself before the presidents
seat, and says few words to the effect
that, with his permission, he desires
either to kill or be killed by the bull.
He takes his jaunty cap from OFF his head
aud throws it into the ring. Now, in a
dignifed manner, with superb strut, the
espada goes forth to meet the bull, and
new n stops until he is within few feet
of him. The bull seems astonished at
this GOODNESS. and does not bulge.
The espada takes bit of red cloth and
holds it close to the bull. This is too
much of an impertinence for toro, who,
with quick, vicious dash at the espada,
completely dispels any idea you may
have that the bull is tired. The red
cloth has almost been en-
tangled in the bulls horns, and that ami
NAL seems surprised that he is only tear
ing up the air with his sharp prongs.
This play, which worries the bull, is
continued until at last the bull is APP
parently tired out, for he seems hard
ly conscious of the presence of his en-
envy. The espada's sword is then slow
ly raised until it is on line with his eye.
He holds it there an instant, then gives
spring forward. The bull meets him
half way with lowered head, and the
blade is buried to the hilt somewhere in
the region of the animals heart. The
man stands stock still. The bull, Ian
guidly tossing his head. slowly retreats.
He seems conscious of his end. He
coughs blood. For the spectators this is
the supreme moment of the show, and
they rise to witness his agony. He
quivers, staggers, and sinks. His enc
is something more to be got Of him. He