Springfield globe-republic. (Springfield, Ohio) 1884-1887, 1885-11-11
4 >H-iDOW or DEATH.
4 Weird and Pathetic Tale OF the ..Corrida


Weird and Pathetic Tale OF the ..(orrida
II. Torn>.'
II am a native OF Leon. NV rather
was A 'contrabandista. and smuggled
mules into France over remote and
secret passes of the Pvrenees. We
were very proud of our sleek. handsome,
smooth mules We made large sums
of money. but we also ran great SKIS
of detect on and Imprisonment. hated
the business, so once when. we Were
crossing one of the passes ran away.
For days | wandered about, until
reached a large city full of white. clean
bu ldings. which they told me was san
Sebast an. asked if there was cor
rida de toroS' (bull ring) there, and on
being told there was | made my way
To the place. saw the manager. and
told m nv story and my desire to be
bull-hghtcr.
AT one time there used to be a good
school there for training bnll-iighterS.
After various prellminarieS | was ad-
mttcd. and found some twenty or
thirty other Young men who Were
going through their training for
'chulos The great favorte of the
school was Young 'espada' named
Fernando NuneZ. aS handsome and -
graceful "A creature aS the dear God
ever made. He was also pleasant, al
wavs kindly. and had cheerful greet
ing and sm le for each one of us. and
was the IDOL of the whole school. He
was very Young. perhaps the Youngest
.cSpada that was ever seen in the
arena.
The bull ring of San Sebastiano
stands used 10 stand-On long.
sandy stretch of plain on the other side
of the railway line. 1t was large
wooden amphitheater, and the pens for
the bull- We're quite apart. but con-
nccted with the arena by a long. dark
passage, through which the bulls were
driven into the ring. For three
or four hours every day we practiced
jumping anC vaulting in the arena.
PLAYING with the lasso and bulls with
tipped horns.
There was to be a great bull-tight
on the feast of San SebastianO, and
Nuncz WAS to try his skill there for tho
third time in his capacity of espada.'
He was considered by the authorities
the rising star as a bull-hghter and
almost equal to Monies in point Of
courage. daring and deNteritv. He
was ALWAYS very kind to me. and rather
picked me out from nv comrades to
be his constant companion. | was
much iiattrrcd. of course. by his dis
tinct on. Perhaps | showed my elatiou
too much. for an old bull-tighter (who
had served many Years IN the arena
and had retired from public life only
to be master in the school at San Se-
ba>tiano. with a pension from the Cow
ernmcnD said to me one day:
Mi hiio, YOU Will not misunder.
stand me if | give YOU a word OF warn
ing. will lOu|
IL shall only be too grateful to vou.'
replied, wondering what had been
doing to incur censure in my work.
"'Do not 90 so much with Nunez.
He is fascinating and very charming.
and. so far a. know. a good As he is
handsome But his absence is better
than his company. You remember the
old proverbs: "Ninas Y vinos son nal
& guarder. and he is As enticing as
wine
But he is so good and pleasant
that he can not have sold himself to the
devil. said. OF what are you accus-
ing him?'
81 am not accusing him of any
thing replied the old man. crossing
himself devoutly, .but'-and here he
put his mouth closely TO my ear-'he is
a doomed man
doomed man. Il or ed. but why?
Who could wish the poor fellow any
i'll? He is so good and kind and CAV.
No one on earth W shes him ill.
am sure, said the old man. eagerly.
But the ghost of the arena follows
him Ike a shadow by day and by
night. and | am sure that he is a
doomed man. ! have been in this
bus ness for vears-long before You
were born have had my tr umphS
a. 'espada, but have never known
one to live who was followed by the
ghost. Monies was doomed by it, SO
was Cuchares. SO were many Others
could name: and now this poor young
fellow The good old man broke
down with tears in his eyes.
But what sort of creature is this
ghOstP' asked. Does it follow all
the company?'
"Oh, Santa Fe, nor cried INV
friend Rodriguez. 1t only follows
certain people who are to die, You