Courier Democrat. (Langdon, N.D.) 1891-1920, 1912-04-04
BULL RING ANTICS
Mexican "sport" as Viewed
Through American SpectacIes.
TACTICS OF THE ToRERos.
They Were Better Runners Than
Fighters and Displayed More Cow
ardice Than 1ravery-Mirth That
the Natives Couldn't Appreciate.

the Natives Couldn't Appreciate.
THANK you. Aguirre. but ! hardly
think ! want to see one Of your bull
fights. have heard enough about
them to make me sick of tue thought"
l had seen every other kind of fight,
from messenger hoys up to bull moose
and buffalo, and Aguirre felt that |
would forever regret it if l left Mexico
without at least once witnessing the
national sport.
l reluctantly consented to accompany
l m and after u dinner, instead of
taking the usual siesta. we went to
the ring. l had often read the stories
of such fights. and after the series of
three had been finished l 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 u broken down race horse
which had e e service on many. of the
tracks in the States and was used in
the bull ring only because he was a
thoroughbred. Finally the bull was
put to death by a stab between the
shoulders, which paralyzed his spine.
The second entrant was a little black
fellow full Of fire, which had been
especially raised on the big ranch Of
Governor Tirazzos. Between the toril
tpen, 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 p~assageway was a Mexi-
a negro. who. when the little bull
was showed out Of the toril, jabbed a
fshhook "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.
p~utrefaccion'' Coward. rotten, rotten
ness,. and Eel toro es muerto'' (the bull
Is de:d,. On the contrary. he was
very much alive and showed it u 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
q failure is made. to explain himself
and ask for another chance before ~
vas condemned. The opportunity was
given, and the result was only a repe-
tition of the former attempt. except
that the bull was prevented from
catching him by helpers who We're arm
ed with long pixies and prevented the
beast from scaling the fence.
Sprlnging ten or a dozen yards
toward the center of the ring. the
%frenzied creature stopped short, spread
his front feet out as far as he could
and madIy paved the ground. In his
shoulder the wicked barb still stuck.
and to it were fastened a big yellow
%rosette and a half dozen red stream
ers trailing the ground.
Presently a volunteer novice torero
(bull6ghter on foot, jumped over the
fence on the north side of the ring and
advanced a few feet toward the defiant
bull. One faunt OF the torero's red
bandera (bannerD and the bull became
a demon. With head down be 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 on"ushing ami
NAL. When the latter was only twenty
yards away the volunteer dropped the
bandera and espada tsword) and put
for the fence as fast as he could go.
The fence was about four feet high.
and the torero cleared it in a straight.
way dive.
The poor bull was not so fortunate.
although he was game enough to at
tempt the fence in his mad effort to
catch his tormentor. He landed on
top OF the boards and stuck there.
with his hind legs in the air. until
be was released by some attendants
who ventureG from the. other side of
the ring.
took a heap of fur out of the antics
of my little hero. the bull. and was
having Il good laugh all to myself while
the mob was going wild with disgust
at the cowardice of Albertis when
Aguirre advised me to suppress my
mirth or there would be trouble for
both of us.
When order was restored the little
black bunch of muscle, Drawn and grit
vas brought into the Enclosure for the
third time. but it took the efforts of
two toreadOrs (buiifgilters on horse
back and Il professional foot fighter to
beat him. and his defeat was then due
only to the fact that he was exhausted.
Aguirre told me that it was bad
form in Mexico to laugh at anything
in a bulltight but the death of the bull,
but | remarked to him hat in all
America he would not find a gringo
who would not instantly grasp the
funny side of that particular bulltight
and carry it home so that others might
laugh too,-Denver Republican.