Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1909-11-28


heart.
And SO he stood gazing into Sofas eyes until,
self possession recovered, he gravely bowed,
turned, and waved his men to their posts.
INSTANTLY all was action, swift action.
Cloaks were tossed to attendants; each foot
man received a red cape; the two picadors took
position one on each side of the bullpen gate;
the band struck up tune. The gate was
opened, and great Utreran bull bounded into
the arena, maddened with the pain of short
banderilla with long streaming ribbons stuck
in his neck as he entered by an attendant
perched above the gate.
His equal had never been seen in Mexican
bull ring While typical of his Utreran brothers.
all princes of bovine fighting stock, this coal
black monster was by the spectators voted their
king. Relatively light of quarters and shallow
of flank and barrel. he was unusually high and
bumped of withers, broad and deep of chest,
and heavy of shoulders; indeed, well nigh
perfect four-legged type of finely trained two
legged athlete, with pair of peculiarly straight
outstanding horns which were long and almost as
was of a strong strain of East Indian Brahman;c
blood. For his great weight, his activity was
phenomenal; his leaps like panthers, his
turns as quick.
Dazed for an instant by the crash of the
music and the brilliant banks Of color about
him, he stood angrily lashing his tail and paw
ing up the sand in clouds G. digging a grave"
as Texas cowboys used to call it,, his eyes blaz-
ing and head tossing; but only for moment.
Then he charged the nearest picador, liter
ally leaped so high at him that head and cruel
horns crossed above the horses neck, his own
great chest striking the horse just behind the
Shoulder with such force that man and mount
hit the ground stunned and helpless.
And barely were they down until he was
upon them and with single twitch of his
mighty neck, had ripped open the horses bar
rel and half amputated one of the riders legs.
Then, diverted by the capadors, he whirled
upon the second picador and IN another ten
seconds had left his horse dead and the rider
badly trampled.
Next the banderilleros tackled him; but
such was his speed and ferocity that all three
funked the work and neither fastened his flags
in the black shoulders.
IMMEDIATELY the bull entered the ring.
FL Tfgre had left the ARENA most unusual
proceeding.
Now he returned, snow-white clad from head
to foot white cap covering head and hair
his face heavily powdered; slipped in behind
and unseen by the bull to the center of the
arena, and there stood erect, with arms folded
| motionless craven image.
Presently the bull turned, saw FL 1fgre, and
charged him straight FL Tigre was not even
facing him; for the bull was approaching from
his left. But there he stood without the twitch
of muscle or the flicker of an eyeid, still as
figure of stone.
A great sob rose from the audience and all
gave him up for lost, when at the last instant
before the bull must have struck it turned and
passed him.
Once more the bull SO charged and passed
whether because it mistook him for the ghost
of man or recognized in him spirit mightier
than its own, only the bull knew.
And before the audience had well caught its
breath, Ell Tfg,e shifted to his usual costume,
was striding again to the middle of the arena
carrying light chair, in which he presently
seated himself facing the bull, short bander-
lila, no more than six inches long, held in his
teeth.
And so he awaited the charge until the bull
was within actual arm reach, when, with
swift rise from the chair and turn of his body
quick as that of fencer's supple wrist, he bent
and stuck the teeth-held banderilla into the
bulls shoulder as he swept past.
Now the time for the kill was come!
Ell Tigre was handed his sword, muleta, and
cape; the muleta, straight two-foot stick over
which the cape is draped and held in the mata-
doris left hand is usually extended well to the
right Of his body. Thus in an ordinary fight
the bull is actually charging the blood-red cape
and not the matador.
But with Sofa an onlooker, determined to
make this the fight Of his life, Ell Tfgye tossed
aside the muleta, wrapped the crimson cape
about his body, and stood alone awaiting the
bulls charge, his sword blade bent slightly
downward sufficiently to give a true thrust
behind the shoulder, down curve into heart
or lungs.
With bull of such extraordinary activity
the act was almost suicidal; but Ell Tigre smil-
inply took the chance