The pioneer express. [volume] (Pembina, Dakota [N.D.]) 1883-1928, 1883-12-21
a BULL FIGHT.
lts Tsrrors aud Horrors-olory TO tho
Bail. .tN

moments the last had left the Enclosure.
The arena was empty. Another -four.
ish Of trumpets, 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 10 infuriate the bull. These
were followed by four or Eve bandiller.
%, who were to act IN . way which !
shall presently describe. Last Of all ap-
peared, In the place Of honor, the mat.
adoers, who finally give tho 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.. the 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
gate. Amoment Of breathless suspense
followed, during which the officers dis.
appeared. Not a sound was audible.
Every eye was fixed on the gate way.
Fifteen thousand hearts were beating
with excitement. As for myself, con-
fess 1t was one of the most intensely ex.
citing moments of my life. l cannot
we'll account for it; but in the vast multi.
,,,n <t,n Ahnk 7 500.
actually in Spain and about to witness
it's 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 was pre-
pared for it, the gate swung open and
perfectly dark den into the arena. For
q moment, astonished aud dazzlcd by
the spectacle around him, and startled
by the yells of thousands of voices, he
halted, his nostrils quivering. Then,
catching sight of the chuios, who at a
safe distance we're waving their red
cloaks at him, he lowered his head and
dashed at them with fury. Nimble Us
squirrels, these men leaped lightly over
the failing of the arena into circular
space beyond, and the bull stopped with
q violent shock within foot of their re-
treating heels. With snort that de.
noted mischief the bull glared around
him. Twenty feet away was q picador
on horseback. Straight at HIM the bull
now went. The horse, whose eyes were
blinded by cloth, obedient to his rid.
er's spur. wheeled to one side. and the
picador pressed his lance into the bulbs
shoulder rs he passed, inflcting only q
slight wound, however, for the iron on
the lance il purposcly made very short.
The bull turned savagely about. AMI ir-
ritated by the cut, charged once moro
upon the horse. Horrible, most hor.
rible!
This time the picador could do moth.
ing, and both horns plunged to the very
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 felt
almost faint when I saw the bull actual
ly shake his head UP and down, until,
by his enormous strength, he lifted
both horse and rider from the ground
and relied them .over in the dust. All
was now frenzy and excitement. The
bull drew out his dripping horns aud
prepared for a 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 faun-
ted theis cloaks in his face and drew his
attention to themselves. As he advanced,
howe, or, these agile men slipped aside
and the .ull 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 al !; for besides being bruised
by his TALL, his legs were encased in iron
plates of great weight, made to resist
the bulls horns. AS for the poor horse,
he WINS left TO die in agony, writhing up;
on the sand while his liIe.blood poured
out in streams. as he struggled iinpati-
emily 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
plunging only one horn into the horses
side. Therefore, for tho next i've or
ten minutes, the wretched animal actua-
ally galloped about the arena, urged
hither and thither by his rider, while
his entrails were dragging around his
heels and the blood was gushing forth
in copious jets! tneed hardly cay 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 IT,, the bull within fifteen minutes
had killed fifteen horses outri hit and
horribly wounded q fourth! tie present.
ly stopped as if exhausted. Tie prac.
ticed eye of the governor detected now
the moment for q change of tactics. He
gave q signal. which was followed by
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.
lnently forward to take more
decided part in the contest than they
had previously assumed, and to perform
SEINE of their most daring feats, that of
bull and giving him love pat on the
neck with the foot in passing! 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, willie
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 chulo actually yentured
to leap over lhe charging bull by means
ola vaulting pole. Think of the ekill and
GOODNESS required to leap thus at the
right moment. For if he rises too quick
ly. tho bull has an opportunity to halt in
time to receive him on his uplifted 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 he speedily dis
patched. But, after this sport had
gone on for some time, signal was Civ
en- for new change Of ,ctcs, and the
bandilleros made their appearance
to exhibit feats Of even
greater daring and adroitness.
One after another placed himself before
the bull and goaded him to madness by
shaking in his face two colored wands
on the extremities of which we're
twisted barbs. When the angry animal
made dash at his tormentor the crit.
tcal moment came. The bandillero