New-York tribune., 1921-05-15

football in q comic opera setting of dark-eyed
worhen, diplomats in fancy dress costume and
reyblutionists in son1breros.
One of the bullfghters rode into the ring
mounted ON horse that by it's clean lines and
spirited bearing proved itself to be an old cav
alry horse. Pug's heart contracted when he
caught sight Of the new victim. Cab horses
were bad enough, but to sacrifice fine old
horse like that
s'It's rotten he said to the consul. "That
horge isn't even blindfolded. Look at hirn---he
thinks he's on parade. And the crowd is
laughing. Good Lord!"
Behind him Pug heard Miss Diego's clear
voice. She said something in Italian to Co
Aelli
lit isn't sport to kill cavalry horse,o she
said in English. "Signor Gonelli, will you
save him?"
"signorina, cannot. The people are ex-
cited. 1t will be good sport while it lasts.
Besides, the horse is DID,"
Miss Diego frowned. Papa she said, "you
are President. Tell them to take that horse
out of the arena"
Goneili, very much amused turned to the
consuls box and bowed politely. "Signor Pug
is toreador,' he said. "He told me so him
self. Perhaps he can save the horse. can
not What do you say, Signor Pug?"
Pug got quickly to his feet He smiled di-
rectly at Miss Diego. She said, in her Pitts
burghian-spanish patois that always turned
over something in Pug's innermost heart:
Would you be so knd?"
u would said Pug.
He yaulted over the railing of the box and
dropped lightly into the arena. Behind him
he heard Gonelli shout: LET him mount! Give
him the gray horseW Pug was blinded by the
white glare of the hot sand. But he caught
at the bride of the big gray~as he passed, saw
the astounded picador slip to the ground and
sprint to the fence. Then Pug mounted,
leaned forward to speak to the old horse in a
quiet urgent voice, and knew suddenly that
every eye in Magelia was focused on him.
The bull was in a corner of the ring. his
head lowered, his bored, somber eyes fixed on
an agile youngster in a velvet jacket who was
tempting Providence with red scarf Pug
felt the old grays body tren1ble He saw
the agile youngster step aside and the bull,
baffied, furious, Disguised, tore across the
bloody arena with death in his eye
What happened then Pug himself could
never remember. In five minutes he learned
more about bullfighting than he could have
learned at Joselito's right hand. 1t was easy
enough to dodge the bulls infuriated charges
SO long as the old horse kept his head Then
he dismounted. He heard roars of approval
around him, and it stirred something in his
blood. Keeping his treless self between that
bull and Miss Diegos horse was the best thing
life had offered him. He broke every rule
of the game. Before his eyes the
world was dancing kaleidoscope of scarlet
and gold, dizzy tumble of sombreros, sky,
dust and twinkling legs. Every time he side
stepped the enemy he heard family that salts
ned howl from Gonelli's Nationalists They
could forget the Yankee in the picador, the
enemy in the good sport. Once he mounted
! the bulls back and rode for hundred yards,
clinging to the outraged beasts horns and
shouting like maniac.
The girl watched the American with shin
ing eyes.
"You made mistake she cried, laugh
ing at Goaelli's chagrin. ''The Magelans like
your signor Pug-listen to themr'
Pug had tired out the bull, just as he had
tired New York in those dim days of Broad
way hoop-jumping. The bull Stood swaying
drunkenly, his feet planted wide apart, his