The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1891-08-24
BULL AND LION MATCHED
QUEER COMBAT TO PLEASE AN
ANGRY CROWD.
1t Was Savage Fight in Which the
Alleged Monarch of the Forest Was |
Badly Disf1gur ed and Used Up.

AEOin peglunlns 10 END. IL occurred In q
small town in the mountains of Costa RIGA,
or somewhere about there-but have for
gotten so much Of the story except the facts
that 1 would not venture to put a name to
the place further than to say that it might
have been San Jose. II Ii entirely safe to
call it San Jose, for there is an almost unIn-
terrupted string of San Joses in the Ameri-
can republics down to the Straits of Ma
| gellan.
There had been a bull fight at o'clock in
the afternoon between three native noun
tain steers and band of bull fighters from
| the Guy of Mexico. When business was
| dull in the 9th of Mexico these bull fighters
made a long tour of the outlying country
! sometimes going as far south as South
| America.
| Despite the gaudy promises of the morn
ing, the bull fight was rather more of dis
| appointment than a success. There were
| too many bull fighters and too few steers,
| with the inevitable result that the animals
had not the shadow of a chance for them
| selves. They were killed like SO many tame
oullocks in slaughter house. and, as the
bull fighters seemed to be unwilling to take
any risk whatever, the crowd became
| furious. Money was not plentiful, and
| so, when the bull fight was no
| better than the stabbing of so
| many domestic cows. the provocation to
anger was great The spectators were
| not backward about expressing their opin-
ions on the conduct of the affair. A clamor
went up for the return of the money taken
In at the gate, but when that was refused q
cry arose to lock the bull fighters into the
ring and turn in upon them a whole herd of
wild bulls. This was not practicable,
mainly for the reason that the bull fighters
had made their escape as soon as the last
| tame combat was over
A proposition to tear down the bull ring
and set the whole thing on fire, with an
Incidental knitting Of the managers, induced
| the managers to call for q parley. The
crowd settled down into a state of sullen
| expectancy to await results. As an outcome
| Of the parley the managers announced that
| IL the spectators would wait patiently for
| half an hour the show would be closed with
an exhibition Of fighting that would of it.
| self be worth more than the money paid at
| the gate. At the end of an hour the man.
ayers returned. pleased, proud and conf
| dent The chief manager raised his hand and
| called for silence.
Ladies and gentlemen" said he, in soft.
| flowing Spanish, Il have the great honor
10 inform you that with an ever present de-
sire to deserve your good opinion. we have
| prevailed upon a distinguished inhabitant
| of our beautiful and patriotic city TO assist
us in bringing to a satisfactory termination
| this interesting occasion"
LESS talk and more show" shouted an
| angry visitor from Guatemala.
IF my impatient friend will do me the
honor 60 wait a moment" continued the
manager, as he stihed hot desire to cut
the throat of the gentleman from Guate-
| mala 81 will explain that we are now to
| be favored with one of the strangest and
most novel combats that has ever taken
place in the arena. Not even in ancient
| Rome, in the days of Nero"
A piece Of hard earth as large as O mans
hand rose out of the crowd near the gate
and scared high in air. 1t broke within a
| yard of the managers feet. Another fol-
lowed a little closer. The time for words
| was over.
Behold" called out the manager, moving
quickly to one side, I'VE bring on the great
! fight"
door leading into the animal inclosure
| just outside the ring opened suddenly and a
black bull from the mountains bolted head
long into the ring. Three vaqueros with
lsriats followed him. The crowd leaned
forward In suspense. What was coming?
A door opened with aquick bang, and the
man who opened it jumped to one side.
Ah-h-hl The waiting crowd drew its
breath In long sigh. mountain lion,
muzzled and led by three men with ropes.
| stepped slowly into the ring. His yellow
| skin shone like dull gold in a ray OF SUM-
shine that came In through an opened door.
and his long tail switched gently to and fro.
He seemed to be young lion, although
well grown aud muscular. A citizen of the
town had captured him on the border OF
Mexico few months before and had only
half an hour since sold him for good sum
to the perplexed but ingenious managers of
| the bull fight
The lion took no heed of the crowd and
the bull until the spectators began to cheer
aud shout in an ec5tacy of joY. Then he
| glanced from side TO side with quick seeing
eyes. Apparently he did not altogether
| approve OF what he heard and saw, for his
| tail took on an added motion with a spite
full little jerk at the end of each swing. The
black bull scented the lion and backed off
slowly, with his head lowered and his right
foot scraping at the ground. The specta-
tors, who had only few minutes before
been ready to hamstring the manager, were
| now willing to cry long life to him and pros
peritv on his endeavors. IL is a queer
world, even in Central America.
The manager, now re-instated in the re-
gard or the spectators, explained that ow-
ing to the ferocious nature OF the mountain
lion it would be necessary to take some
means to prevent him from leaping out of
the ring into the crowd. If his friends. the
spectators, had no better way to suggest he
would order that the hon be tied to a stake
ia the center of the bull ring. The PROPOSE
ton had the entire approval of the specta-
tors, and especially of those who sat in the
rows nearest the ring. The lion was tied
with rope enough to allow him to iump
hardly more than twice his own length.
Tie the bull, too" called out a voice.
Fair play for the honw and the cry was
taken up.
The manager protested that he wanted
the fight to be as good as possible, aud he
doubted the wisdom Of tying the bull.
ut is not fair, the crowd shouted. THE
bull will kill the lion without fight"
what would you havep said the man.
ager. shall let loose the lion among you
al."
mo, no. Tie the bull in front of the
lion. Give them an equal chance"
So the bull was tied to a stake with a
short rope. Apparently the lion would
have fair chance. At length the COM
batants were left face to face. The lion
was free of muzz.e and the two extra
ropes.
The animals watched each other for
few moments, each one moving Iestlessly,
rs though uncertain what to do. Neither
seemed 20 be afraid. The bull slowly paved
the ground and waved his long tail, at the
sane time shaking his head aud expelling
from Lis nostrils such quick blasts of air
that the dust flew up in his face. The lion
now and then crouched nervously, with
suarIing jaw and jerking tail, but be did
not spring. The crowd held its breath again
and again as the crisis seemed to be at hand.