The Osceola times., 1888-05-12
SENORiTA HERNANDEZ.
The Wonderfully seif-Possessed Girl NULL
Fighter of Mexico.

Fighter OF Mexico.
IL was my fortune some time AGO to
see Senorita Hernandez, the most fa-
mons female bull-fghter in the world.
so fearfully exciting was the so-called
sport that the five thousand people
IN the Piazza de Torros were upon their
ieet In state of widest confusion.
men yelled themselves hoarse and
women tainted, all because a slender
young girl had nerve enough to throw
herself in the path of fierce bull and
| pierce him to the heart by single
thrust 1t was her farewell perform
ance, and the strongest and fiercest
torrors in the country had been adver-
tised for To make the novelty great
er, 1t was announced that Senorita
Hernandez would fight upon stills,
armed with only a short sword, and
with none of the usual defenses and
loop-holes of escape; so that in every
case 1t was victory or death to the
brave girl. The animals provided were
small, active and wholly untamcd, and
the horns of each were trimmed and
polished till the points were bright AS
needles, and almost as sharp. Never
did veteran picad0r perform more ex-
pert work than was coolly executed by
the youthful senorita. As the bull,
mad with rage, would make his furious
charge she stood perfectly still until
he had approached within three feet,
when. suddenly springing aside as the
animal rushed by, with one hand she
would slap him in the face with the
scarlet cloak which had first aroused
his anger, and with the other hand
dexterously thrust into his neck a
gaudy bd>aderiltd, whose sharp barb, as
it pierced his flesh, caused him to roar
with rage and pain. Thus charge af-
ter charge was made by the maddened
brute, only to be always evaded by the
active girl. She played him, plagued
him and tortured, as cat would
mouse, until at last, bleeding. sore and
completely exhausted with fatigue and
pain, the animal would fight no more.
Three wild bulls were worn out in this
way by the fair Castilian; and then,
wearied as she must have been. came
the climax in the fulnlment of her adj
vertised obligation. to kill bull, with
a sword scarcely two feet long. while
standing on stills directly in front of
him.
The animal selected for this deadly
contest was beautiful specimen of his
race, black, agile, savage and wild; he
was no sooner in the arena than ready
for battle. After he had been per-
mitted to make two or three charges to
warm him for his work, the governor
of the district (who presided on the oc-
casion) gave a signal. and the bugle
sounded the death call" Even
habitues of the bull ring turned pale
and the silence of the grave reigned
throughout the vast amphitheater
The slight young girl, with stills Sc
curely fastened to her limbs, received
the short sword, saluted the governor
and turned toward her enemy with q
little shout of defiance. waving her
scarlet cloak to excite his anger At
this moment the distance between them
was about two hundred feet The torro,
quivering with excitement and paving
the earth in the fierceness of his rage,
needed no second invitation. With
cleaning eyes and head lowered to the
ground, he started at full speed for the
object of his hate. She calmly waited
until he was within twenty feet, when,
bracing herself firmly on her short
stilts, she held the little sword at shoul-
der height, ready for his coming. What
ever may have been her thoughts in that
supreme moment, it was a fearful time
for the spectators. When the huge
brute was within four feet, she threw
herself suddenly forward, gave one
quick thrust with the sword, and, with
out waiting to note the effect of her
blow, swung herself around on her
stills. and again saluted the governor.
In the twinkling of an eye she turned
TO face the bull. and just as she did so
he dropped dead, so close to her that,
without moving from her position, she
place one foot upon the neck of her
now PROSTATE foe. The sharp blade,
directed bv Che skillful hand of this
wonderfully self-possessed girl. had
severed the spinal cord, and death was
instantaneous. For moment the great
audience sat breathless, as if paralyzed,
and then such shower of gold and
silver coins fell around the victorious
torrad0ra as must have enriched her
f,, tif. pou,,s n U,nrd s11 T,-a;i IN