The Colfax chronicle. [volume] (Colfax, Grant Parish, La.) 1877-1981, 1888-09-22


of the bull to be killed, according to
the customs that have prevailed from
the earliest times, is rigidly observed.
Although he enters the ring never to
depart, he is given fair play to the very
last The incidental slaughter of half
a dozen horses, and the manning, or
even the killing, of man or two does
not interfere with the rights of toro, the
bull.
The fight begins at three p. m. A
bugle note sounds the warning, and
the gates are thrown open to lively
music by the band. Two mounted
princes enter first. They are dressed
in gorgeous costumes of velvet, en-
broidered with beads and tinsel.
Silken hosiery and lace at sleeves and
neck are worn. The horses are gayly
caparisoned. Following them are the
matadors, who are the most skillful
performers in the ring. They are
likewise dressed with great mag
nificence. Mazzantini, one of the
most celebrated matadors, wears a
costume costing 500 and diamonds
that are worth many thousands. Three
picadors, half a dozen torreadors, and
a number of assistants, bring up the
rear of the procession. The picadors
are mounted, and carry long spears
with heavy round-pointed heads. The
part which they play is the most dan
gerous of any. They are prepared for
it, by heavy steel armor from their
hips to their feet. The torreadors
wear red mantles, with which they
tantalize the bull, and distract him
when he has any Of the other per-
formers at disadvantage. The pro-
cession marches around the ring, and
pauses in front of the governor, whom
they salute. He throws the keys of
the pen, which have been in his pos
session to insure the safety of the bulls,
to the princes. They take them with
much ceremony to the custodian of the
bulls and Immediately get out of the
ring.
| The bugle sounds, the gates of the
pen are swung back, and the bull enters.
As he does so the keeper throws a
sharp-pointed barbed hook with per-
cussion cap at one end and a tuft of
gay ribbons at the other. As the barb
enters the flesh the cap explodes. This
infuriates the bull so that he is ready
for the fray. He makes dash for the
nearest matador, who jumps over the
barrier, and the crowd cheers the bull.
The red mantles madden him, and he
dashes at the wearers until he has
cleared the ring. Frequently he gains
so much momentum in his wild rushes
that he brings up with terrible force
against the wooden partition just as
his tormentor escapes. Sometimes a
matador is caught so that he runs
across the ring with the bull in hot pur-
suit. This race for life or death ELECTS
J bowls of delight from the excited crowd.
II the man does not vault the barrier
J in time the bull losses him over, or
perhaps catches leg or foot between
his horns and the woodwork.
When the animal has made it too hot
for his tormentors in the ring, he
marches to the center OF the space, and
paving the ground, snorting and bel
lowing he awaits attack. Several tor
readers now enter and commence their
tactics of exhausting the bull. One at
tracts him with a scarf blanket
thrown in front of his eyes by another
allows the first one to escape. When
h<aJ x.<rf 10 fsx.c fa1 NH. dor,
rides into the ring. At sight of him
the crowd applauds, fornow the bloody
} work is to begin. If the bull hesitates
to attack the rider, he is goaded, and
barbs are thrown into his sides until he
rushes in mad fury at the picador
This individual sits firmly in his seat
with a spear at rest, and receives the
charge straight from the front. The
horse does not stir for the simple rea-
son that the poor beast is blindfolded
AS the bull charges, the spear enters
his neck, breaking part of the shock,
but not all. The horns pierce the
breast of the horse, and sink out of
J sight in his body. Sometimes they
wedge themselves firmly between his
bones, so that the bull Is not able to
extricate them and renew the charge,
in which case the enormous strength
of the bull is such that he lifts horse
and rider into the air and shakes them.
This generally liberates the horns and
results in a further goring OF the horse
The picador is often thrown with the
horse on top of him, and even when
: clear of the horse, the weight of his
armor is SO great that he has to be as
: sisted to escape to the barrier. If no
vital part of the horse is pierced at the
} first onslaught, he rises from the