The Washington herald., 1922-11-08
Bull Fights Reign in Spain
But Boxing Frightens Women
Old Cab Horses Offered as Alleged Pugs
Take Count Early-Girls Faint. =
BY THOMAS STEWART RYAN.


MADRID, Nov. mo normal hu-
man male can pass through Spain
without seeing a bull fight. unless
he has seen one before. Afterwards
he expresses marked opinions about
the show, which are only what
thousands have said before him.
What is there about the round
sand lot and the sweating, yelling
crowd that attracts the Anglo-Sax-
on, despite the certainty OF disgust
when the picadors come on? AS a
rule, he has not the excuse of the
Spanish fan, who sees the art OF
the thing. Is the appeal in the
sheer blood letting? Not so long
ago our ancestors INDUCED in the
refinements of bear batting Now,
remarks the Spaniard. we are civil
lied and more sportsmanlike, ano
We slay only the dangerous rabbit
or that other feroci9us animal. the
trout.
See II As Drama.
At a bull fight we think perhaps
that we are watching a sport, OF
which the outcome is doubtful. This
is true to a certain extent when
young aspirants are trying out. and
are nervous. and tell the bull so. and
consequently get hooked. as has
happened frequently this year. But
the Spaniard does not go to the bull
ring for sport. He does not care
much for sport. He wants drama,
nd he prefers the bull fight to the
theater. He sees there a gorgeously
staged spectacle, of which all the
cues should be prearranged. He
does not demand an equal chance
for man and beast. He is artistical-
ly annoyed IL the man falls or
misses the death stroke. To be
sure, he cheers the buen toro. but
that is as he would applaud the VIII
liam in a play for his good acting.
He wants a drama of color and
pomp and death as a fitting climax
but always the death of the bull.
An American or an Englishman
who has not seen many bull nights
senses ,keenly that first rush OF the
bull on to the sand. He Is struck
by the honest look on the bovine
face. by the abundance of courage
and faith in his own strength,
whereas. of course. the brute is
doomed. fight well or badly. After
a few charges the bull pauses be-
wildered. with an expression like
that of an honest backwoodsman at
a 5 o'clock tea. where all the jokes
are at his expense. If 1t is night
show. the bull is further bewildered
by the lights. and he stands there a
bit pathetically, the central and
most heroic f1gare on a respondent
stage.
Horses Are "GOats.''
Volumes have been written by
Englishmen and Americans on the
picador stunt. For us the suffering
of the horses is the most jarring
note. The Spaniard is perhaps as
capable of pity as we, but he simply
does not see-well, what happens
to the horses. For him they are a
conventionality of the theater, like
the man at French play who raps
three times in the wings before the
curtain is raised. Custom ordains
that the bull shall tire his neck
muscles by lifting the horses before
he meets the man for the climax.
1t has never occurred to any one to
tire those muscles without disem-
bowelling old cab horses, as a re-
ward for years of patient service.
The nags wear look of panied
surprise that such an outrage
should-happen at their age. This Is
worse than the whip and the snow
and the heat. 1t is the finish.
Sometimes when things get rath-
er too messy. esthcticism awak-
ms and the crowd demands the
cath of the horse. The\ picador
wears softly. but a bull fight
crowd Is as, despotic as the Roman
populacc at gladiai iorial show.
and the Caesar, the president of
the fight, can only comply.
Revolving to Yanks.
1t is seldom given to anyone to
ee the placing of banderillas from
except in Portugal. 1t
was done at a night corrida this
summer. 1t is graceful trick, but
despite appearances 1t is not con-
sidered dangerous If the horse is
well trained. In this case the
mount is young ana valuable. He
is refined up at the barrier as the
ull stands in midring. Then as
he bull charges the horse crosses
lis would-be course diagonally,
ieither too soon, which would re-
ult in nothing. nor too slowly,
which would be fatal. The rider
places the darts from across the
orse's hind quarters. which are
,cca sionallv nicked NV the bull's