Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1898-03-02

yes. FOR the traction or moment Jose
was almost sorry for it all.
Now he must go and buy something for
Anita, putting her in a good humor so
that she will sew the rosettes on his traj
for tomorrow. But alas! investigation of
his pockets reveals not a centavo, not even
the ghost of a centavo! And when he
breaches. to Anita the question Of her buy
ing and arranging the rosettes that lady
jeers at him-she is busy and has some
thing better to do than waste her few
centavos on pauper of a torero. There
fore with curses both loud and deep,
the angry matador perfOrce has to pawn
his precious cigarette case to obtain the
wherewithal to pay a tailor to do the
work.
The fiesta day of Saints Peter and Paul
dawns clear and bright. and such Of
Joses friends as he meets during the
morning congratulate him on the fine
weather, $50 good for the fighting" and
wish him buen suerte. They are all 60
ing. they promise: and if he kills Ell
Diable-the big Andalusian bull provided
specially for JOSE who hates the Mexican
animals-in a fitting and approved man
ner; they will tender Jose a banquet, pero
magnifico. that night.
The enormous Plaza de Toros is packed,
both sol and SOmbra, when Jose. in all his
war paint, strolls languidly through the
private entrance. just as the trumpets
have blown for the dragging out of the
first bull, rather bunglingly killed by Ell
Muchacho. The latter is not a favorite,
and the great packed ring boots and
jeers at him, with many scornful remarks
as to his appearance, looks. manners, and
so or, with derisive tinklings of COW
bells. Poor Muchacho!
The band is playing an exquisite swing
ing Spanish danza, seeking to allay there
by the impotence of the people, who are
oh CT nd
Joven! El Matadorn Jose likes to keep
them waiting-it makes them appreciate
him all the more when he does arrive.
Now. while they are stamping and shout
ing and calling eagerly for him, he is
calmly smoking a big black cigar, sur
rounded by an admirlng crowd of plea
dores, capeadores and the like. And not
until that same cigar is smoked down
to a stub does he regretfully throw it
away and move toward the matadorS en-
trance to the ring.
Another loud blare of the trumpets, re-
newed handclappings, and the band be-
gins the Diana amid loud applause
appears, his face flushed with pride and
delight at his reception. Flinging down
his three-cOrnered hat and laying his
hands upon his breast, he bows low all
around to the cheering throng. Then one
of the capa men hands him some bande-
side of the ring, waiting for the Spanish
bull that he is to handle alone, both with
banderillas and sword
Then, with Il crash. the great gates
are flung open, and the ring men, cape
adores, banderilleras, and all, tumble
hastily back over the barriers as, with
a wild roar that seems to shake the
earth. the huge. mad, black beast plunges
out of the darkness of his pen into the
big, sun-scorched ring. His great hOofs
tear up the ground as he RACES on, his
red eyes glare about him, and his furious
believing sounds over even the music of
the band. Jose watches the brute as he
tears around and around the ring, and
smiles wickedly. The madness. faScina-
ton, Of the fight is on him; his blood
races in quick spurts through his veins;
with tighter grip on the banderillas, he
moves near the center of the ring.
Now the bull catches sight of him.
With a loud roar, shaking and lowering
his great head, he plunges at the matador
horns down. 1t looks a near thing; one
can almost see the great curving horns
pass through and through the motionless
man, but by a hairs breadth they sweep
by. Another wicked below from the
bull as he stamps and paws and RACES,
and Jose is at a safe distance, smiling
triumphantly as the crowd bursts into
wild applause over the beauty of his
stroke. For the gay red and yellow
baIbed instruments stand out with al
most mathematical precision from the
huge black bulk of the toro. \ fine
stroke, indeed.
Three times are the banderillas put in,
and the bull is in a passion Of wild fury,
rage and agony combined Blinded by
the dust and the blood that is pouring
down from his torn, quivering neck and
shoulders, believing with pain, painting,
paving and tearing at the ground, he is
nevertheless fooled in his every attempt
to get at his tormentor, who is mocking
and torturing him with Tapping red
cloths and deriSive, jeering motions.
But enough of the banderillas-now for
the sword work. With a smiling nod the
matadOr accepts the sword that is hasti-
~ handed to him from behind a barrier,
and, sheathing it in his satin cloak,
leaps backward to avoid the rush of the
bull as he comes madly on, head down,
evidently realizing what the sword is for.
Charge after charge is made and
avoided by the matador, who has never
in all his bad life fought with the su-
perb skill and beauty of now. The au-
dience is enchanted. From hoarse, hys-
terical screams of joy and applause, ac-
companied by showers of dollars and
purses and flowers from the beautiful
women in the boxes, the throng mas now
passed into absolute silence. breathless.
with delight at the magnificent struggle
below between well-matched Spanish ma
tabor and Spanish bull.
But at last the matador sees that the
bull is exhausted he must kill, the play
cannot last longer. With quick move
ment to one side, he poises himself on
tiptoe to give the death cut in his own pc
culiar manner-the cut that has made
him famous. AS he lifts the cleaning
blade. like a flash there comes to him
the thought of the old Spanish corral in
Barcelona where he had learned and
practiced that stroke, with Enrique and
other Spanish muchachos applauding
from the walls, even as this Mexican and
peon assembly are applauding now. Poor
Enrique! A superstitious feeling of re-
morse has hardly time to pass over his
murderer before the bull is plunging on
in another mad rush, quivering with rage.
eyes and head covered with blood. and
hinging out great fiecks of foam as he
charges.
The matador leaps forward and poises
the sword on a straight line with the
heaving, torn neck of the bull: he sees
with delight that it will just touch the
vital point, and smiles, thinking that it
will be the cleanest cut he mas ever given
in the ring-the bull will die in two sac-