Abilene weekly reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1888-1935, 1888-07-26

| bfOldered 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 dozen tOrreadorS, and
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 a 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
sharp-pOinted baTbed hook with per-
cussiOn cap at one end and taft 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 tOrlnentor 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 elicits
bowls ofdelight from the excited crowd.
If the man does not vault the barrier
in time the bull losses him over, or
perhaps catches a leg or foot between
his horns and the woodwork
l, -. I.
for his tOrmentors III 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; a blanket
thrown in front of his eyes by another
allows the first one to escape. When
he begins to tire, mounted picador
rides into the ring. At sight of him
the crowd applauds, for now the bloody
work is to begin. Ii the bull hesitates
to attack the rider, he is goaded, and
barbs are thrown into his sides until he
l'ushes in mac fury at the picador.
This individual sits firmly in his seat
with 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
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 libci.ates the horns and
results in 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 80 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
ground only to be thrown again by the
maddened bull. When finally the bulls
vengeance is exhausted, the horse
rises, and, with entrails protruding,
PUSHES in blind agony about the ring.
He frequently dashes against the bar
rier with such force as to throw him |
self 10 the ground, and if unable to
rise. one of the assistants ends his suf-
fering by piercing his brain with a
dagger. II the horse is not seriously |
injured at the first charge, the open
ings made in his body by the horns of |
the bull are stopped with hemp. and he |
is placed in position for a second |
charge. This portion of the perform |
ance is SO horrible that if performed |
in English-speaking countries it would |
make men faint. Yet women and even |
children witness it in Spain with every
indication of pleasure.
The position of the picadOrs during |
the charges of the bull are most pre- |
carious. They have many narrow es-
capes, and are sometimes lifted in the |
air and alight on the back of the bull |
One close call occurred recently. A |
picador was thrown to the ground. but |
escaped by lying perfectly still and |
feigning death, while the bull shifted |
over him. and finally walked away.
AFTER THE DEATH.
After the death of the first horse, the |
governor calls in second picador, who