The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1912-06-24
BULL RING ANTICS
Mexican "Sport" as Viewed
Through American SpectacIes.
TACTICS CT THE T0RERos.
They Were Better Runners Than
Fighters and Displayed More Cow
ardice Than Bravery-Mirth That
the Natives Couldn't Appreciate.

/
"Thank you, Aguirre, but hardly
think l want to see one of your bull.
fights l have heard enough about
them to make me sick of the thought.
| had seen every other kind Of fight,
from messenger boys up to bull moose
and buffalo, and Aguirre felt that l
would forever regret it if left Mexico
without at least once witnessing the
national sport.
/ reluctantly consented to accompany
him, and after our dinner, instead Of
taking the usual siesta, we went TO
the ring. ] had often read the stories
of such fights, and after the series Of
three had been finished ! wondered If
any writer had ever taken the trouble
to describe the ridiculous and funny
stunts that crop out during the course
of the fights.
The first bull that was released went
through the ordinary course of sprouts,
first goring a broken down race horse
which had seen service on many of the
tracks In the States and was used In
the bull ring only because he was
thoroughbred Finally the bull was
put to death by a stab between the
shoulders. which paralyZed his spine.
The second entrant was little black
fellow full of fire, which had been
especially raised on the big ranch Of
Governor Tirazzos. Between the toril
(pen) and the ring there was a short
alley. just wide enough to allow the
bulls to get through without rubbing
the hair from their tanks. Leaning
over the boards which formed the
sides of the passageway was a Next
can negro, who, when the little bull
was showed out of the toril, jabbed
fishhook "barbo" into his left Shout
der. which maddened the animal to
such an extent that he hardly knew
which way TO turn, so eager was he to
locate his enemy.
The crowd at this time was going
mad and from all sides could be heard
frantic cries Of "Cobardo, podrido.
putrefaccion" coward, rotten, rotten
ness, and eel toro es muerto" the bull
Is dead. On the contrary, he was
very much alive and showed it q few
moments later. After he was chased
into the toril the torero, whose name
was Albertis. appeared before the
presidents box, as is the custom when
a failure is made, TO explain himself
and ask for another chance before he
was condemned The opportunity was
given. and the result was only repe-
tition of the former attempt, except
that the bull was prevented from
him by helpers who were arm
ed with long pixies and prevented the
beast from scaling the fence.
Springing ten or dozen yards |
toward the center of the ring, the |
frenzied creature stopped short, spread !
his front feet out as far as he could 1
and madly paved the ground. In his I
shoulder the wicked barb still stuck, /
and to it were fastened a big yellow
rosette and a half dozen red stream
srs trailing the ground.
Presently a volunteer novice torero
tbullfghter on FOOT jumped over tho
fence on the north side of the ring and
advanced a few feet toward the defiant
bull. One flaunt of the torero's red
oandera (banner) and the bull became
/ demon. With head down he rushed
at the novice, who meanwhile had
lost his nerve, for he stood quaking
With fear when he should have been
advancing to meet the onrushing ami
nal. When the latter was only twenty
'ards away the volunteer dropped the
pandora and espada Sword and put
or the fence as fast as he could go.
rhe fence was about four feet high,
md the torero cleared 1t in a straight
way dive.
The poor bull was not so fortunate,
lthough he was game enough to at.
empt the fence in his mad effort to
atch his tormentor. He landed on
op Of the boards and stuck there
With his hind legs In the air, until
e was released by some attendants
Vho ventured from the other side Of
be ring.
/ took heap OF fun out Of the antics
4 my little hero, the bull, and was
aving good laugh all to myself while
he mob was going wild with disgust
t the c0wardice of Albertis when
lguirre advised me to suppress my
nirth or there would be trouble for
9th of us.
When order was restored the little
lack bunch of muscle Drawn and grit
Tas brought into the Enclosure for the
bird time but it took the efforts Of
wo toreadors Cbullfghters on horse
ack) and professional foot fighter to
eat him. and his defeat was then due
My to the fact that he was exhausted.
Agulrre told me that ii was bad
1rm in Mexico to laugh at anything
J a bullfight but the death of the bull,
ut I remarked to him that in all
merica he would not find o gringo
'ho would not instantly grasp the
lnny side of that particular bullfight
nd carry it BONE so that others might
ugh too.--penver Republican
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