The Bozeman weekly chronicle. (Bozeman, Mont.) 1883-1889, 1883-10-17
A BULL FIGHT.
AS SEEN BIZ AN AMERICAN LADY.
Aan Written BY W. A. Cr01ut The Cor.
respondent.

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asked Mrs. Leslie about the bull-fght
she had attended in Madrid. "It was a
sad affair."" she said; "it almost made me
sick. l meant to write it up myself; but
/ haven't time, and will give it to you.
got to Spain out of season, the regular
society season being in winter, as in New
York. When arrived in July the great
balls and gayeties were over, and the
chief theaters were closed or closing.
The regular bull-fghts were at an end,
too; but as the appetite 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 was es-
corted by the family of a member of the
government. King Alfonso is very fond
of bull-fghts, and the taste adds to his
popularity. This sport" so called, is at
the bull-ring, or Plaza de Toros. struct-
ure good deal like the amphitheatre at
Rome, with seats all around and open at
the top OF the sky. There we're no pro.
fessional bull-fghters present on this
occasion, the picadors and matadors be-
ing neutrality-suspicious. bred, and many
of them titled, was told. Sometimes
there are eight or ten bulls slain at one
performance, but this day there were
only four dispatched, partly, no doubt,
because their fighters we're amateurs. A
bull fight has been called, you know, a
tragedy in three acts, and that is what it
is exactly, only that it is not 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 infuriat-
ed to desperation; in the act the matadors
come in and kill him with blow of a
sword, beneath his shoulder-blade.
There were about twelve or fifteen of the
assailants. All were mounted. When
they came in they made one Or two turns
around the ring showing their horseman-
ship, as in circus, and bowed low before
the box where the king sat. They were
in various bright costumes, conspicuous
one being the red velvet jacket, embroid-
cred in gold and silver lace, and slashed
trousers of velvet or satin. Their caps
were tied under their chins, and they
wore diamonds and precious stones with
out number. Then they had a regular
tournament, riding on run around the
arena, holding their spears ready and
catching on their point little pennons or
ribbons that hung from horizontal bar.
Some of them showed great skill at this,
getting two OF three Of the ribbons.
Then all dismounted and the horses
were led awav.
Presently the first bull was led in,
and was received with cries of welcome
from the audience. He was a beautiful
little fellow Castilian from the kings
preserve, young, bright-eycd, silky and
pretty, playful in his manner, and full Of
activity and a feeling of strength. He
did not look fierce. In fact, I suppose
they did not want too fierce an animal
for these embroidered and feathered
aficionadas-the flower Of Madrid society
to cope with. l was SO sorry for the
little beauty the minute I saw him.
This was not at all what l had come for.
l had come to see some savage and wick
ed beast put out of the way, where he
could do no more harm. The gentle
creature seemed dazed at first; he halted
and looked inquiringly around; he had
apparently never heard Of bull-fight
before. Perhaps he thought it was a
new, strange pasture. He looked at the
men on the horses. Then the 'fun
began. The picadors gathered around
the bull and pricked him with their
lances. He fiinched, shook his head
bravely, and 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
disadvantage for time, fighting
pluckily, and then trying to get away.
He went to the gate again, but it was
locked. He came to the palisade around
the arena, looked up at the king and
uttered such pitiful bleat of misery and
appeal as l shall never forget. The au-
dience roared with laughter, and hooted
him, and each banderillcro 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 it
above the head being wound with flowers
and bright ribbons that waved and fiut-
tured as he ran. Each time one of these
would be stuck in him 80 that it stayed,
the spectators raised a cry of "Bravo!
bravo!' bien hecho! (well done). When
there were eight or ten of these barbs in
the frenzied bull, and he was rushing
blindly around the arena, full of rage
blood dripping from his sides, and the
bright ribbons and roses quivering above
him, there was great delight and excite
ment. Scores of little children, brought
there by their mothers, stood up on the
seats and clapped their tiny hands and
shouted for joy. would have given
500 at that moment if the little bull
could have caught one of his chief tor.
menters on his horns and tossed him
twenty-five feet in the air. But he could
not. He hadn't succeeded in giving any
body scratch. He would come and put
his head over the fence now and then
and below sorrowfnlly for help, and
then dodge the goads again. He began
to stagger, and was evidently helpless
Then rose the cry, Natalie! Matale' (Kil
him! Kill him!') and they all went al
him to slay him. Being non-expert
they missed the clean thrust and stabbed