Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1889-04-24
From Blackwood's Magazine.
A TALE OF THE BULL RING.


to their national game. | was not in
the sombra or shady seats. for I prefer
to take ny place among the crowd, n
of whom / almost am now, and, more
over, what right has a penniless young
artist to spend q dollar on seeing a bull
fight?
How noisy and hot and dusty they all
looked as they trooped in and took
their seats around me! I was surprised
at the crowd; there was no great mata-
dor going to kill bulls to-day, vet all
the cheaper seats were filling.
Iasked my neighbor, a peasant in a flat
black hat, breaches and highly decorat-
ed CATERS and a bright waistcoat. and
wearing his coat Sung from the shout
ders:
"Senor,"I said, can you tell me why
so many people are here to-day? :"
He looked at me for a moment with
an expression of surprise.
"You do not know" he spoke with a
strong Andalusian accent. sebastian
will kill the bull"
Sebastian ?" [ said. "Senor, donot
think me ignorant, but / know no bull
fighter of that name"
He laughed.
HE has never killed a bull before; to-
day is his first. He comes from this
part; that is why every one is here"
Then he added: 81 will tell you his
story. Sebastian is only a muleteer,
who once a week drives a caravan of
mules from his mountain village to this
town. Once a week he comes with his
burden of fruit. But he is poor; the
mules were not his; he only works for
another" He paused for a moment
and he added: You are a stranger
here ?"
YES" 1 said, 81 only arrived yes
terdav."
'"rhen you do not know Juanita-La
Bella Juanita we call herr" He did
not wait Tor me to answer his question,
but continued: every one tails in
love with J~uanita, and Sebastian, like
the rest, did too. He prayed and be-
sought her to marry him, but she is
proud and would not look at the hum
BILE muleteer. But after a time his
handsome face and ~oft-repeated tale
would marry him If he would kill a bull
in the ring at to-day's fair. But hush
here b is"
[ turned in the direction in which he
was pointing. and gazed with astonish-
ment at one of the most lovely Great
ures Is has yer been my lot to see. All
eyes were fixed on her, yet she was
as impressive as if she were alone and
unnoticed. Her light golden hair
not common among the Spaniards-was
bound up high upon her head, and sur
mounted by a dark crimson rose, which
held in its place her mantilla of black
lace; her dress was open slightly at the
neck; her dress was of black lace, while
ln0ColU Tn RUN nunT ono chnT7lHnr Uoc
an embroidered shawl. 1t surprised
that one of her station should be SO
well dressed, though it was not the
dress that struck one so forcibly-it was
those great gray eyes and dark lashes,
the curved eyebrows. the aquiline nose,
the perfect bow-shaped lips.
b took her seat among the common
people, who made way for her on every
side, but whom she entirely ignored.
No sooner was she settled than she
drew out a great fan of black lace, which
she opened and closed in regular mo-
notony, leaning back with a weary look
in her haif-closed eyes and a smile on
her brilliant lips
and already the impatient Spaniards
were shouting and calling, but yet the
gobernador had not taken his seat in
the box reserved. I was all impatient
tt see Sebastian, and his was to be the
first bull killed. | gazed at hazard
round the ring-what an anomaly it
presented! Near me, but in the better
seats, were a lady and her two little
girls, whom she was feeding on choco-
lates, and whose tiny hands were al
ready to clap the victorious matador.
Behind and around me were the jaunt-
ing dusty crowd, among whom passed
and repassed the sellers of water with
their shrill cry of "Agua, aqua fr~esca,"
and the vendors OF biscuits and nuts.
Below is the arena with its burning yell
low sand, a miniature desert; above
Suddenly the band commenced to
play; | turned and saw that the admin
l%strator's box was no longer empty. A
sma | man in a black coat and silk bat
had taken his seat, surrounded by half
a dozen officers in full uniform, and a
lady or two. One by one the spears Of
the picadors were handed to him, and
he measured the points to see that
none were beyond the prescribed
length-sufficient to slightly wound and
enrage the bull without endangering its
life or injuring it seriously. Clear
above the music of the band ran out
the notes of the bugle. A great folding
gate was thrown open and the process
sion entered-fye matadors and four
picadors, the latter mounted on their
horses, which looked well weary of the
life they were SO soon to end.
-Four of the matadors were profession
ais; the ffth-to whom was given the
place of honor in the center and slight
ly ahead-was Sebastian. All eyes
were turned on him. Pale-paler,
doubtless, from the scarlet and gold
costume he was wearing-but digniied
and graceful, he approached the ad-
ministrator's box, before he bowed, as
did the others.
Two minutes later the picadors were
placed and Sebastian walked to the side
OF the arena, for his was the last item in
the periormance-the killing of the
bull. He came close to where | was
sitting and bowed to Juanita. His face
was deadly pale, but never in my life
have | seen q more determined look to
door die.
His acquiline nose, his almond eyes.
with thin black lashes and brows, his
fine upper lip and slightly heavy chin,
formed as striking a face as n could
see. He was very handsome-hand-
somer almost than Juanita herself, who
kn0wlado his bow with q scarcely