The Hood River glacier. (Hood River, Or.) 1889-1933, 1912-03-07
BULL RING ANTICS
Mexican "Sport" as Viewed
Through American SpectacIes.
TACTICS OF THE ToRERoS.

They Were Better Runners Than
Fighters and Displayed More Cow.
srdiee Than Brsvsry-Mirth That
the Natives Couldn't Appreciate.
Thank you. Aguirre, but l hardly
think want TO see one Of your bull
fights. 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 |
would forever regret 1t II 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 II
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 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 a
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
Ipenl and the ring there was short
alley. just wide enough to allow the
bulls TO get through without rubbing
the hair from their tlanks. Leaning
over the boards which formed the
sides OF the passageway was a Mexi-
can negro. who. when the little bull
was showed out OF the toril, jabbed
tlShhook "barbo" into his left shoul-
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.
putrefaecion' coward. rotten, rotten
nessl. and "El toro es muerto" Uhe bull
is deadl. On the contrary, he was
very much alive and showed it 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
failure is made. to explain himself
and ask for another chance before he
was 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 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
and mady paved the ground. In his
shoulder the wicked barb still stuck.
and to II were fastened big yellow
rosette and a half dozen red stream
ers trailing the ground.
Presently volunteer novice torero
tbullfghter on FOOT jumped over the
fence on the north side of the ring and
advanced a few feet toward the defiant
bull one t1aunt of the tOrero's red
bandera (bannerl and the bull became
O 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
mai When the latter was only twenty
yards away the volunteer dropped the
bandera and espada tswordl and put
for the fence as fast as he could so.
The fence was about four feet high,
and the tOrero cleared 1t 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 ventured 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 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
was brought into the Enclosure for the
third time, but 1t took the efforts OF
| two toreadors (bullhghters on horse
backI and a professional foot fighter to
| beat him. and his defeat was then due
only to the fact that he was exhausted
Aguirre told me that 1t was bad
form in Mexico to laugh at anything
10 bullfight but the death Of the bull
but remarked to him that In all
America he would not find a gringo
who would not instantly grasp the
funny side of that particular bullfght
and carry 1t home so that others might
laugh too.-Denver Republican.