Daily Kennebec journal., 1899-04-08
BULL AND LIONS IN THE RING.
How Madrid Society Thrsted Tor Novelty and
Got II.

Madrid'S society has forgotten al
about The recent wan ana its srasur
was one of the most brilliant III modern
I years. one of the last great functions
in th.. Spanish capital WAS a novel en-
counter i'll the bun ring which nlItd th,
/ auditorium 81 the plaza Ia tn" limit
| The directors had grown weary ot tn,
/ constantly decreasing attcndancca th,
several bun nghtsand determined upon
| 4 grand coup before the season of Len
ten abstinence began. So they side
, tracked the worthy matador ana Thu
valarous toreador, assigning them I,
the posts Of ushers. ana selected tW,
young. fierce and untamed Iionesscs L,
attack The hull in their places.
The mere announcement Of the pro-
/ grammc was enough to move the cas-
lillian aristocracy and arouse lis dor
mant interest in the plaza. Seats Were
I sold out in advance and the Madrid
! spectators struck a graft for the first
| time in almost a year. Standing room
I was ut a premium. The scene ut the
| time the show was to begin surpassed
! in chrOmatic grandeur and beauty any
thing that Spanish painter ever strove
to reproduce. The Senoras and Sc
nOritaS know how to dress. and color
cannot be too vivid and brilliant to suit
them.
In the center of the large arena
stood a gigantic iron cage with bars as
stout as those of prison cell. A signal
Was sounded and hush fell over the
vast gathering. restiVc in its sup
pressed excitement. Two smaller cages
We're rolled in from opposite en-
frances to the arena to the gates in the
big cage which faced each other. one
contained Pandereto. the proud Cata-
lonian bun. ana in the other We're Sa-
bina ana Ncmea. two feline sisters.
whose claws had but recently scratched
the fieas of Africa from their furs. The
@atckeepers pulled the gates aside ana
there vas momentary pause. The
bull lowered his head and gave vent to
mufFlcd roar and his antagonists
mcuved once or twice in a menacing
way. Then both bull and the lions
made a dash for the arena. meeting al
most in the center. Pandereto Was a
hot fayorite and money offered on him
went begging except at long odds.
He was feeling frisky and cavorted
around the two cats like an oVergroWn
calf Sabina hissed, crouched low ana
made 4 sudden leap at her foe. when
! she thought he wasn't paying atten-
| ton. But how she was fooled, Pandy
! ierked his bull neck. caught the young
! kit on his horns and tossed her against
| the bars Of the cage as though she
We're a tennis ball. That runled her
| feelings. Nemea took exception to the
| big hrute's rudeness and prepared 10
| avenge her sisters degradation. She
drew herself together and made ready
for spring. With a gurgle of the
! larynx that sounded like a hoarse
| laugh Of the Farnese cattle Pandereto
! dashed down upon her. and. hooking
| his rakers under her stomach. sent her
| flying across the arena. shedding jun
| Gle profanity all the way.
| Then he shook himself and trotted
around the ring like a song and dance
artist between verses. He made 4 rush
| at his first antagonist and gave her a
| second lesson in aerial navigation
| without wings. Nemea was tired and
sneaked around looking for an exit
| Pandy hates a gutter. He ripped out a
roar that caused every drop of CASTLES
proudest blood to freeze, and chased
the skulking cat. He snapped her aloft
again. and she struck the iron bars
with a tremendous thud.
1t was evident that the lions had had
! enough. and intense Indignation was
aroused among the disappointed spec
tators. who had given up Corbett-Fitz
prices in expectation Of seeing the real
thing in a scrap. The disgust at the eX-
hibition of coWardice found vent in
yells and cat-calls. The keeper of Sa-
| bina and Nemea felt hurt 1t was an
| insult to him, and he spurred his
charges on to action once more in sheer
desperation He harassed them. and
Sabina fairly flew at the bull and in
llicted an ugly wound in his neck. She
drew first blood, but the bull retail
lated at once by dashinG her against
the roof of the cage. That settled il.
| The lions were carried off in disgrace,
| while the bull was cheered and led to
his quarters. His injury was bad. and
so was Sabina's. Nemea was buried
| that night.