The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1888-08-23

by prlcklng them with pointed sticks. |
They soon learn to regard any thing
red as an antagonist, and when they
enter the ring they are as ferocious as
lions.
HOW THE BATTLE Is FOUGHT.
A governor of the fight Is chosen to
see that the rules of the ring are OBJ
served. These rules are as explicit as
those of a baseball game. The right
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.
Sllken 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
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 dam
gerous of any. They are prepared for
it, by heavy steel arnor 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 tuft of
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
50 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 elicits
| howls of delight from the excited crowd.
in time the bull tosses him over, or
perhaps catches a leg or afOot 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 scarf; 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. 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 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 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
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