Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1912-09-09
BULL RING TACTICS
Spain's Great National sport"
and the Shame of 1t.

The great majority of the spectators
were Spanish. Here were young dan
dies in faultless suits and boots OF the
most brilliant patent leather. Now
enters a woman in the famous man
tilla OF white lace. reserved solely for
the bullhght. There one saw father,
mother and little children OF quite ten
der years. A special box. Immediately
over the door by which the bulls would
enter. was reserved for the president
of the fight and his friends.
In the ring stood half a dozen police
men. They remained in the arena all
through the proceedings, but there
were wooden shelters at intervals be-
hind which they discreetly retired
when the bull approached. Half
dozen red buckets filled with water
stood in a row on the sanded floor. A
band. just below our seats. played live
ly airs.
The audience being now complete,
the first matador marched round the
arena with his little troupe of picadors
ION horseback). toreadOrs with red
coaks to wave in front OF the bulD
and banderilIeros, the last named car
rying darts which were presently to
be planted in the back of the bull.
The toreador is quite minor person
age. The star performer. after the
bull. is the matador, who deals the
deathblow with his sword. All the
other people that have mentioned are
under the control OF the matador.
The weapons were now inspected by
the president, the men and horses re-
tired and the first bull trotted into the
arena. He was big fellow, rather
slow moving, and he stood for some
little time in the center of the arena
gazing about him at the general scene.
The band was playing gayly all this
time. couple of tOreadOrs advanced
and set the bun in motion by waving
their Cloaks just in front of his horns.
1t is commonly supposed In this
country that the toreador is a magniti
Gently brave person who risks his life
for the pleasure of the excited popu-
lace. That is quite "A mistake. The
bull never goes for the man, but al
ways for the cloak. So long as the
torcador holds the cloak to one side
Instead of in front of him and has the
usual amount Of common sense and
ability there Is no reason at all why
he should receive a scratch. and l be
lieve that he very rarely receives even
a scratch. If he is fool enough to get
drunk before he enters the arena, that
is another matter Under ordinary
conditions anybody who is pretty good
at blind mans buff could do the
work OF the tOreador. The bull, as a
matter Of fact. cannot turn so quickly
as the blind man"
After a little of this teasing from
the toreadOrs a picador advanced,
lance ready poised. Here Is the really
cruel part Of buIlfghtinG. the part
that makes it hideousIy revolving to all
decent people. The horse ridden by
the piCadOr is poor old hack, and II
is brought into the arena for no other
purpose than to be killed by the bull
in the sight Of the pOpulace. There Is
a bandage over one eye so that the
horse cannot see the deadly approach.
ing horn of the bull. The picadOr rides
his horse right up to the bull, and the
bull is allowed plenty Of time to gore
the horse TO death. Not the slightest
attempt is made to save the horse
want 10 emphasize this because one
had always understood that the horses