The Cheyenne daily leader. [volume] (Cheyenne, Wyo.) 1870-1884, 1883-11-06
A SPANISH BULL-FIGHT.
Mira Frank Leslie's Story Of the
Scenes of the Arena
Tho King Smiles. the Aristoeraey
Applaud, Mothers and Children
shout for Joy---But lit
Was n sad Affair"
tcrorut's Letter in Pioneer Press.I

OhSa1N 1eeC IA INV ANI
1 asked Mrs. Leslie about the bull-fght she
had attended in Madrid. at was a sad at-
fair" she said; lit almost made me sick. l
meant to write it up myself; but 1 haven't
time, and l will give It to you / got TO Spain
out of season, the regular society season be-
ing in winter, as in New York. When l ar
rived in July the great balls and gayeties
were over, and the chief theatres were
closed or closing. The regular bull
6ghts were at an end, too; but as the p
tito for that sort of combat is Unsuitable there,
they got up a special extra one, exclusively
for the king and his court, and TO that l was
escorted by the family OF a member Of the
government. King Alfonso is very fond Of
bull fights, and the taste ndds to his popu-
larity. This sport" so called, is at the bull
ring. or Plaza de Toros, a structure a good
deal like the a~mphitheatro at Rome, with
seats all around and open at the top to tho
sky. There were no professional b~ull-fighters
present on this occasion, the picadors md
matadors being neutrality-suspicious. bred,
and many OF them titled, / was told. Some
times there are eight or ten bulls slain at one
Performance, but this day therO were only
Tour dispatched, partly, no doubt, be-
cause their fighters wero amateurs.
A bull fight has been called, you know. n
tragedy in threo acts, and that 1t is
1t Is exactly. only that it is no play
tragedy, like those on the stage. In the first
act the picadors assail and ~irritate the bull,
and are defended, from time to time, by the
chulos, with their binding cloaks; in the
second act the chulos stick their barbed darts
into him. till he is Infatuated to desperation;
in the third act the matadoH come in and
kill him with a blow Of a sword, beneath his
shoulder-blade. There were about twelve or
fifteen Of the assailants. All wore mounted
When they came in they made one or two
turns around the ring showing their horse
marship, as in a circus. and bowed low
before the box where the king sat. They
were In various bright costumes. n conspicu-
Gus one being tho red velvet jacket, embroid-
cred in gold and silver lace, and slnshod
Trousers OF velvet or satin. Their caps were
tied under their chins, and they wore
diamonds and precious stones without num-
Der. Then they had n regular tournament,
riding ON a run around the arena, holding
their spears ready and catching on their point
little pennons or ribbons that hung from a
horizontal bar. Some Of them showed great
skill at this, getting two or three OF the nib
bona Then all dismounted and the horses
were led away.
Presently the first bull was led in, and
was received with cries of welcome from the
audience. He was a beautiful little fellow-
a Csstilian from the kings preserve. young,
bnght-cyed, silky and pretty, playful In his
manner, and full OF activity and a feeling Of
strength He did not look fierce. In fact, /
suppose they did not want too fierce an ami
NAL for these embroidered and feathsred
ahcionaaos-the flower Of Madrid society-to
cope with was SO sorry for the little beauty
the minute l raw him. This was not at
all what l had come for. l had conn to see
some savage and wicked beast put
out Of the way where he could do no
more harm. The gentle creature seemed
dAzed at fBt; he halted and looked inquir.
tngiy around; he had apparently never heard
OF a bull-hght before. Perhaps he thought II
was a new, strange pasture. He looked al
the men on the horses. Then the fun began.
Tho picAdors gathered around the bull and
pricked him with their lances. He hinched,
shook his head bravely, aud when too close
pressed, charged vigorously among them.
They easily sprang out OF his way, and lanced
him again and again when he was bewildered
by the cloaks and scarlet flags flung before
his face.
'He felt himself at a disadvantage for a
time, fighting pluckily, and then trying to
get away. He went to the gate again, but II
was locked He came to the palisade around
the arena, looked W at the king and uttered
such a pitiful bleat Of misery and appeal as !
shall never forget The audience roarod with
laughter, and hooted him, aud zach ban
derillero attacked him with his sharp-pointed
barb. This was two or three feet long, and
was left sticking in the animal, all the shaft
Of 1t above the head being wound with flow
err and bright ribbons that waved and hut-
tered as he ran Each time one Of these
would be stuck in him 30 that it stayed,
the spectators raised a cry OF 'Bravol
bravoi bien hechoI' twell done). When
there were eight or ten Of these barbs In tho
frenried bull, and he was rushing blindly
around the arena, full Of rage, blood drip
ping from his sides, and tho bright ribbons
and roses quivering above him, there was
great delight and excitement. Scores Of
little children, brought there by their moth
err, stood up on the seats and clapped their
tiny hands and shouted for Joy. / would
have given 500 at that moment IL the little
bull could have caught one of his chief tor
msntors on his horns and tossed him twenty
i've feet in the air. But he could not.
He would come and put his head over the
fence now and then, and below sorrowfully
for help. and then dodge the goads again. He
trgnn TO stagger, and was evidently helpless.
Then rose the cry, Matalel Mataler cKnl
himi Kill himl1 and they all went at him to
hay him. Being n~on-expert, they missed the
AN 1NAobth ~ DoOf CIthtuTb IN
the wrong placs. Blood gushed forth, and
the wounded animal staggered of again,
making a futile effort to fight back. Women
stood on hptoe and applhuded with the rest,
like the scene in Murillo's picture.
Finally more men came, and they
Euccseded at last in stAbbing the
creature through the brain and
killing him Then the matadors came and
bowed low before King Alfonso's box, and he
smiled approvingly and led the applause.
One could not help thinking OF the Roman
giadiatorial fights when the emperor silently
inverted his thumb over tine railing and the
spectators cried police versor
Now sit still there are four moro bulls to
b killed, and some OF the rest will be oven
better than this they told me.
"But 1 had had enough, and more thar
enough 1 went home. When the Madrid
IMPORTERS came and asked mo how 1 was
pleased. / said: 1t is the only thing in Madrid
OF in spnin that | do not like"
A Drink Map"