Rocky Ford enterprise., 1913-08-22
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round his until the latter is taken away.
The removal of the fighting bull from the plains
to the bull ring is not without interest. II the
bull ring is not far of the method is as follows:
Some few days before the fight, decoy oxen, with
bells round their necks. are turned out with the
herd. which soon get accustomed to their pres
ence. little before dawn on the appointed day,
by the light of the moon, the herd of decoys and
bulls are hurried along by side roads and lanes
into the town and on to the bull ring. For long
distance journeys the bulls travel by rail- and as
the ultimate sorting out of bulls and decoys is
much the same whether 1t be at the bull ring
near by, at the railway station for distant
fight. a description of the method by which the
animals are boxed for transit will dou-
BILE purpose.
Imagine a country railway station of the primi-
tive ORDER on the right dusty road leading
through aloe hedges to a distant town. with mar
ket gardens in the middle distance; on the left
a single railway line. stretching away In not
too straight line to infnty. Behind you is a
large yard or corral. surrounded by high walls
and divided down the middle which is entered
by two massive wooden gates. A few porters,
idlers. half dozen cowboys with their ponies
hitched to posts, couple of guardia civie. and
probably few tourists stand about outside. In
the distance grazing the bulls and their trail
torous brethren. guarded by single horseman.
Presently there arrives the scene stout
party-presumably the overseer.
The cowboys mount their ponies. doing a little
showing off" as they canter away to the dis
tant herd. Rounding up the bulls and oxen. they
head them for the corral In front gallops a
ganadero with lance in rest. driving before him
a decoy OK. At his heels thunder the herd.
Faster and faster they come. into the post and
rail lane which narrows down to the entrance of
the corral. Behind, with wild yells and waving
lances gallop the rest of the cowboys. Into the
corral dashes the decoy OK; the horseman at his
tail wheels at gallop into the open stable doors
his left. coming up with bang into the stall,
as a small boy hastily slams to the door behind
him Meanwhile. the entire herd has poured
into the corral and the gates fastened be-
hind them. The ganaderos dismount and come
up on to the walls lances In hand The small
boy pops out of the stable. cracking a whip. and
the herd "gets move on towards the next sec
tion of the corral of which the doors stand open.
A bull looks toward the small boy, who dives for
cover like a rabbit: but In second he is out
once more and again cracking his whip The
cowboys aid his efforts by leaning over the rails
and prodding those cattle within reach with their
lances from above. Presently the herd is all in
enclosure No 2. At the righthand end OF this
is a lane leading backward in the direction from
which the cattle came. Having been through
the mill before decoy promptly trots of
down this lane to freedom. He is followed at
a more leisurey pace by a bull-but not to free
dom The end door is slammed in the second
animals face. Quickly turning around he rushes
back but the door at the other end is shut also
Round he comes again. to find the middle door
likewise closed. He Is in trap and knows
1t. With an angry below he charges the door
sending the white splinters flying cowboy
leans over and prods him with his lance. With
a savage grunt he turns round once more to see
facing him a small opening In the wall Per
haps II leads to freedom? His hesitation van
fishes as he receives several prods from above
and he dives into the darkness, to find himself ir
box on wheels in which he cannot turn around
Before he has time to back out down comes =
sliding door and he is a prisoner ready to b<
sent by train to the bull ring and his fato