The Londonderry sifter. (South Londonderry, Vt.) 1883-19??, 1885-10-29
BULL FIGHTING IN SPAIN.
saaGuinars sunday sport for shout
Ing Men and women

which he passed the holy Sabbath Day:
The day was Sunday, our taste for bull
lighting not strong, but we thought it
well, perhaps to look upon one of these
famous encounters, so noted in all Spanish
countries, Some Spanish soldiers newly
arrived from Cadz entered the arena and
went through some military evolutions In
excellent style, calling forth repeated APP
plause from the spectators. After their
departure, preparations We're made for the
great event of the day, A man dressed in
uniform was seated in n prominent part of
the amphitheatre, and seemed to be a sort
of military master of the ceremonies. He
gave blast from bugle and the broad
door Of the central and lower arena
opened, and in marched a half dozen of
gayly dressed young men whose black
plumes and sharp swords suggested
bloody business, not contrasting with their |
green and crimson and yellow garments. |
They were followed by about an equal |
number of men in the ordinary dress of
the town: These were provided with flags
and all the paraphernalia of the coming |
fight. span of gayly caparisoned |
mules Were tTotted in. jinglng their bells, |
unconscious of the miserable task allotted |
them of dragging away the slain They |
were only brought in to show that blood |
shed was meant, and were quickly driven |
out. Two men with broad sombreros and |
stout leather trousers entered the ring, |
mounted upon horses such as are some |
times sold at Brighton for Il dollar and a |
half; these men had poles in their hands |
and were not particularly sanguinary in
their appearance The crowd began to
show excitement, and yelled furiously, | |
ppcf tha I'm a Wi,
peared to be composed of the middle class,
decently dressed, and of all ages, although
the young men seemed to be the most |
numerous. A few women only We're to be
seen. The band struck up a martial air, a
little time elapsed, and the master of cere-
from his bugle, bravo, torop The doors
flew back. and forth rushed into the arena
a large bull. He shook his head and stared
about him as if in doubt At last he
seemed determined to put the thing
through at all hazards. His enemies ap,
preached him with their tantaiizing flags
of blazing colors. He dashed at them Wig
orously and with such spirit as to drive
his prosecutors behind the little board Lar
rlcades ranged around the ring at conyc- |
nient distances, They were at him again
in moment: no sooner would he lower
his horns to toss one foe than another came ]
Haunting a hated flag, in his face, and
|
way and then that until his blood
burned with rage and the white foam fell
from his mouth. Once or t. ice lie rUsh,d
upon the horses, and they, icing ilndcd,
suffered dreadfully from his horns. The
fightn assumed new phase One oft.e
Drllllantly-dressed youths approached the
bull with barbcd dart in each Land he
aimed to plant these firmly in the shoulders
of the brute, standing directly in Ike frJi.t,
an act requiring nerve and skill to perform.
Attempt after attempt was made lctore
the feat was accomplished. AZ last, INV
ever, poor Toro" had his should, rs orna-
mented by palrof singing darts, covered
with bright rlblOns, to be sure, BIT noae
the less singing because of Them. He
pitched and paved, rushed and charged,
foamed at the mouth, and tried to kill !
everybody and everything around When
the hollow shafts of the darts, being filled
with powder and fireworks, exploded, I'll
the poor devil of Il bull went fairly frantic
He bounded up like n goat, he plunged
he gored the poor horses fcar.ul'y, he
chased his cruel Toes, the l!aglntn, us if ne |
meant to give their flesh to the DOES, tlriv-
ing them to their retreats AID even tryingto
force them from their place Of safety. SO
the fight went on, for it vas something of
afight. If the bull had knowna little more,
he might have laid half his enemies ont as
cold as iron but no, he must just mis-
them every time. Once in while. his
horns. would just Craze their backs, or
they would save Themselves by a hare
inch. To tell the truth, the mon kew
spark of fight and fury out Of the De&. lie
fore despatching hiia, and they id it.
The poor bull had done his best, but his
enemies were too numerous and powerful: |
his time had come. The "Matador" or
Murderer stepped out FROM among his fell
lows dotted his black pluuei and ulIted
the spectators. A h.ast from the bugle |
and he APP! reached the bull, now standing
sullen and savage, watt z in grim cN-
pectation some new design # fc. rful coll |
sequence upon his well; cing, Slowly the |
approat he'd arUImd his eft nand |
was twisted Il bright tiag, in his ri I'll. WAS I
grasped long straight sword, whcn was
md made a savage lunge, and at that NOM
ant the sM ord of the murderer severed his I
spinal cord. The decd was done. A
blast from the bugie, and i'll irOtte the {
mules with their juggling bells, AMI the ;
lead bull was dragged ignOmini usly t
away. t
Loudly the band llayed, hideously the t
Spanish b.ackguh;ds shout d. Again the |
,hril bugle was heard ana another bull |
was ushered in. Taurus number two had !
IN instinct Of defeat he woili not fight: /
insults he cOa!d not be made 10 notice he
was above them Tags were waved before
lim in vain. "El Utro toro!' Arot ..er
DULL shouted the mad crew VIII, looked
upon the scene. The bull gazel wistfu!ly
upon the gate which had closed after him
The crowd ieered Missed, and Levame i'm
patient. A passage was made iur the
liscrt ct ANIMAL and he was not low in |
avaling nilnae 1 Of it. trotting out 70. ful.
y, glad to save his hid at ti!e tN;e.ac of
his reputation, sound from the bUge
Drougat third bull before us. Tais was
III ANIMAL of spirit. y roSgtte hau ben ,
fastened in his skin and from il huug
, long bunch OF ribbons. blood tri k
ell freely fro.n the iacisi0n Nllie TO IL
'ert the Unwrlc, med ornament. One of
jhe horsemen :ode near enough to pluck
me of these ribbons from its place lie
,xulted wonderfully, shaking his trophy,
kissing it at one Of the women present,
md finally scHding it to her. The same "
were gone through with taurus
lumbt three rs with number one. The
ncidc ITS of i.rsc varied II little, the
larts il.cd with eNi 'sives seemed TO o.
worry The bull lore tAan anything else, o
md no wonder, tie! we're cruel things. Il
every suffering OF thc ball, every hair m
breadth escap: Of his csoecutors, every
ipping of II horses feiI. seemed to fill CT
he spectacle VITA intense excitement
md fiendish deli@ht often they would
tand erect and sIotlt to the top OF their e
ungs. What they SAID | could not tell,
mt rs told they wee IDLY obscene and
in seine Of their exclama-
ions. The third bull was bungingly
truck by the matt Tor, and IAN around
he arena qiiyerins and bleeding and was
nally dispatched by an under.nss. The
ourth bail can.e II. He drosc things
riskly. II was the same thing over
gain though taas, bHnderii.os, ch.rg. ),
lunses, re-sniO~g, Il stencil If eunpow-
er, stenfogan uiic:', and . .ina! stab
his bull! was beautifully killed The ma
ador was n N. .5H.r OF il ; knd. Cool,
teady Il d st.on. ..c drove his blade to
he Hit in The ;.ek Of his victim WHO
ropp,d 10 the earth ike Il stone Another
ull ciu:.e l., ;lid rJyei i coward, and
ias 10 TIA u..t II tie rim. which lie left