The Bossier banner., 1885-02-26


ly, who with a trumpet sounded blast
now and then to convey his Excellency's
desires. We happened luckily to have
the adjoining box, from which we could
watch him closely and hear his COM
ments upon the performance.
The audience was very large and
composed of all classes, from the proud
! Castilian who came behind his four-in-
| hand, with retinue of outriders, to the
poor peon who had been saving his
scanty earnings for week and walked
five miles to witness the CHASTITY specta-
Gle. There were perhaps 10000 people,
and one-fifth of them were women in
silk and satins, in jewels and rare laces,
who hid their eyes behind their fans
when the spectacle was too repulsive,
but encouraged the matadors with ap-
plause at the end of each act. 81
A band of music played lively airs,
and played them well, to entertain the
| people until the Governor came, whose
presence being recognized, the people
gave cordial cheer by way of well
come. Then the herald in the Govern
or's box blew signal which sounded
like the "water CALI of the United
States cavalry, the doors of the pit,were
opened, and in marched dozen or so
of matadors in the same sort of jacket
and breeches which they wear in the
pictures of Spanish life so familiar to
all. Each wore plumed hat, scarlet
sash, a poniard, and the gold lace upon
the black velvet showed their 1.-THE and
supple forms to advantage. They looked
as Don Juan looks in the opera, while
the leader, Bernardo Cavino, ''del de-
cano de los toreros,n was veritable
Figaro. in appearance at least. Each
carried a scarlet cloak upon his arm,
and in the other hand a pike staff. Be-
hind them came troop of eight horse
men upon gaily caparisoned steeds, with
the usual amount of silver and leather
trappings in which the Mexicans de-
light. The procession tailed up with a
team of four mules, hitched abreast,
dragging whiffietree and long rope.
These, we were told, were for the pur-
/ pose of dragging out the dead. s
The cavalcade made a circuit of the
amphitheater like the grand entree at a
circus, and upon reaching the Govern
or's box stopped, saluted him, and re-
ceived a short address in Spanish, which
probably was simply one of approval
and congratulation at their fine appear
ance.
There was a rack in front of the Gov
ernors box, upon which hung several
rows of darts, gayly decorated with
paper rosettes and paper fringes of gold,
and other brilliant tints. Upon these
racks the matadors hung their plumed
hats, and stood awhile beside them to
give the ladies and gentlemen of the
audience an opportunity to see and adj
mire. The gay horsemen rode out and
were followed by the mules, but the
former soon returned upon an entirely
different style of animals; poor, broken
down, lean, lame and NANCY hacks
which looked as if they had been turned
out of some street-car stable as bai
, for vultures. They were covered with a
sort of leather armor, and this concealed
their fieshless ribs, but nothing could dis
. guise the shambling and uncertain gai
! with which they painfully ambled acress
. their riders. They managed to ge
8 across and that was all.
The first set of horses were intended
: for show and the second for slaughter
!, Public opinion appears to demand tina
l something besides bull be sacrificed
: and the matadors not being gamiablt
enough to afford this qualification,
pair of animated clothes-racks art
turned in to be gored. The poor beast
are blindfolded, which is about the onl,,
= humane feature of the show.
The Governors herald gave anothe
!, blast, at which the entire audience, VIII,
= were on the qui vive, arose and shouted
g g A door across the pit opened, and
:. large, clumsy, long-horned bull poke'
, his head out into the arena. The
! yelled, the matadors posed at differen
:, parts of the ring-ten of them-and tn
two horsemen pretended to get read
: for the fray.
I The bull looked up, the only fright
f ened being in the entire multitude. Th
/ posters described him as "a valiant ant
arrogant ANIMAL He was fine piec
. of beef, but he didn't want to hurt any
q body. Somebody behind spurred him
4 and he ran into the ring. The door
: were closed behind, and he had n
q haven in sight. He plunged one way
. out was met Dy Lnree mataQOTS, Wn
/ tapped their cloaks in his eyes; h
! turned in the other direction but wa
met by three more; then he made
4 bolt between them, and darting towar
a the other side of the ring, gave a grea
$ leap. as if he would 60 over the eight-foo
= wall. OF course he failed, but h
!. struck the planks with tremendou
e force, tumbling forty or fifty fellow
g who were perched on the top into hea
a on the other side. 1t was the onl
e amusing feature of the whole show.
J. There was a grand crash, lou
e howl, forty or fifty legs were in the ali
l. and the audience shouted with laughtel
g The bull turned around in a frenzy, ra
n to the other side of the ring, an
IT sought in vain for place to, get ou
IS Then one of the horsemen rode up ]
a front of the animal and jabbed a spes
le into his face. The bull plunged at h
Ie assailant, believing with pain, an
le lifted the poor horse upon his horn
lie raised him from the ground, and thre
h him with great force against the side