River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1883-12-20
A BULL FIGHT.
Its Terrors and HorrOrs-Glory to the
Bull

the cries of the vendors of oranges and
fresh water, and the cheers of eager
spectators, as different movements were
made preparatory to the combat, all
formed confused roar, comparable to
nothing I ever heard before. At length
there came a shrill blast of trumpets,
the signal for the area TO be cleared OF
all its lingering occupants. In a few
moments the last had left the Enclosure.
The arena was empty. Another flour
ish of trumpeta and in through one OF
the principal entrances marched the
future actors in the bloody drama. At
the head came the picadors, two men on
horseback with lance in hand, and
dressed in brilliant colcrs. Next came
the chulos, bearing on their arms the
scarlet cloaks with which it would be
their duty to infuriate the bull. These
were followed by four or five bandiller-
os, who were to act IN way which l
shall presently describe. Last of all APP
peared, in the place of honor, the mat
adoers, who finally give the bull his
death blow.
After description of the costumes,
with which all are more or less familiar,
he SAYS: Two officers dressed in black
and with long nodding plumes in their
hats now rode in, and hating before the
royal box, asked permission of the gov
ernor If tue spectacle to admit the bull.
The governor threw to them the key of
the den where the bull was confined,
and riding rapidly across the arena the
officers handed this to the keeper of the
rate. A moment of breathless suspense
followed, during which the officers dis
appeared. Not q sound was audible
Every eye was fixed on the gateway
Fifteen thousand hearts were beating
with excitement. As for myself con-
fess it WAS one of the most intensely ex-
citing moments of my life. l cannot
well account for it; but in the vast multi
tude around me, the thought that | was
actually in Spain and about to witness
its great national sport, the dread that
had of the bloody characteristics, and
then, too, the fact that three ladies were
with me who might possibly faint on my
hands-all these combined to agitate me
greatly.
At length, almost before 1 was pre-
pared for it, the gate swung open and
huge, iron-gray bull rushed forth from
perfectly dark den into the arena. For
q moment, astOnished and dazZled by
the spectacle around him, and startled
by the yells of thousands of voices, he
halted, his nostrils quivering. Then,
catching sight of the chulos, who at q
safe distance were waving their red
cloaks at him, he lowered his head and
dashed at them with fury. Nimble as
squirrels, these men leaped lightly over
the aiiing of the arena into Il circular
space beyond, and the bull stopped with
a violent shock within foot of their re-
treating heels. With snort that de-
noted mischief the bull glared around
him. Twenty feet away was a picador
on horse back. Straight ut him the bull!
now went The horse, whose eyes were
blinded by q cloth, obedient to his rid
er's spur. wheeled to one side and the
picadOr pressed his lance into the bulls
shoulder as he passed, inflicting only q
slight wound, however, for the iron on
the lance is purposely made very short.
The bull turned savagely about, ami IT.
ritated by the cut, charged once more
upon the horse. Horrible, most hor-
rible!
This time the picador could do moth
ing, and both horns plunged to the very
hilt into the horses side. Ten thousand
voices greeted this with yells of approval
bravo, Toro! Bravo, Toro. resounding
in deafening shouts from all parts of the
arena. This was bad enough, but | 1elt
almost faint when | saw the bull actual
ly shake his head up and down, until,
by his enormous strength, lie lifted
both horse and rider from the ground
and relied them cover in the dust. All
was now frenzy and excitement. The
bull drew out his dripping horns and
prepared for new charge. If he made
it, it would be all over with
the picador. But now the chulos
came TO the rescue. Three or four tiaun-
ted their cloaks in his face and drew his
attention to themselves. As he advanced,
however, these agile men slipped aside
and the bull struck only the cloaks,
which passed lightly over his head.
While this was being done other men
had assisted the falling picador to get
upon h feet. He could not have risen
without ai3; for besides being bruised
by his tall, his legs were encased iii iron
plates of great weight, made to resist
the bulls horns. AS for the poor horse,
he WINS left to die in agony, writing up
on the sand while his blood poured
out in streams, as he struggled impati-
entity to rise. But by this time the bull had
charged in fury upon the other picador,
Almost the same scene was now repeat
ed, save that the bull succeeded in
pIunging only one horn into the horses
side. Therefore, for the next five or
ten minutes, the wretched animal actua-
allv galloped about the arena, urged
hjther and thither by his rider, while
his entrails were dragging around his
heels and the blood was gushing forth
in cOpious Jets! [ need hardly say that
the ladies' of my party shielded their
eyes from this horrible sight. A Ger
man lady near me wept. But the fair
Spaniards seemed to think of nothing
but the men and the bull.
The second horse also dropped in the
agonies of death, and as new picadors
came IL, the bull within fifteen minutes
had killed fifteen horses outri hit and
horribly wounded fourth tie present
ly stopped as if exhausted. The prac-
ticed eye of the governor detected now
the moment for change of tactics. He
gave a signal, which was followed by q
blast from the trumpets. The picadors
at once withdrew fIom the arena. much
to our relief, although the weltering
corpses of three horses still lay upon
the sand. The chulos now came prom
inently forward to take more
decided part in the contest than they
had previously assumed, and to perform
some of their most daring feats, that OF
jumping over the head of the charging
bull and giving him a love pat on the
neck with the foot in passngl This they
never would have dared to do when the
bull was fresh but now fatigue rendered
his charges shorter and more easily
avoided. Do you wonder that he was
wearied? Up to this time his exertions
had been tremendous. The perspiration
gtistened on his painting sides, while
blood coated both shoulders with Grim
son mantle, proving that the lances of
the picadOrs had done their work.
But still more daring. deed than this
was seen, when a chuo actually ventured
to leap over Inc charging bnll by means
of vaulting pole. Think of the skill and
GOODNESS required TO leap thus at the
right moment. For if he rises TOO quick
w, the bull has an opportunity to halt IN
time to receive him on his upllfted horns.
In any case the pole is almost certain to
be knocked from under him, and the
man must see to it that he alights upon
his feet, or he will be speedily dis
patched. But, after this sport had
gone on for some time, signal was Civ
en- for new change of tactics, and the
bandilleros made their appearance
to exhibit feats of even
Greater daring aud adroitness.
One after another placed himself before
the bull and goaded him to madness by
shaking in his face two colorcd wands
on the eXtremities OF which were
twisted barbs. When the angry animal