Evening star., 1928-12-16

cut upon the plains of Andalusia these
grand animals to be slaughtered. High
at the shoulder, snort of legs, compacE,
supple, rapid, with legs of Sinewed
steel, strong -jointed, keen of eye. borns
long and sharply pointed. courageous
hearts-such are the bulls brought 70
ngllt. On great pastures, the gam
hderias, these beasts have roamed wild
and free. Those that come at last TO
the ring are carefully selected. Animals
which, when tried. charged furiously
and showed themselves always game.
Upon the great farms during their
growing years the beasts have been sub
3ected to q process of elimination. The
faint-hearted, the slow of perception,
the towards, all have lcen culled out.
Several days before the fight they
have been loaded into special travelling
boxes on wheels which are lifted upon
railway cars. Then the last stage OF
the journey-the "chiquero," a dark
roomy stall beneath the bull ring; and
waiting for their final gesture, de-
fiant and enduring courage in the face
of varied tortures. going down into
darkness to face the enemy.
HTHE hour is $50. The unclouded
n sun is slowly climbing down.
Half of the arena is in shadow, half N
sunlight, Sombre and Sol these sides OF
the arena are named. And a ticket IN
the shadow costs you just twice that
of one in the sun. But when you know
the power of that Spanish orb on a
Summer day you pay the higher price,
If you have it.
The whole arena is packed. -Four
hours previously many men and women
have Vainly sought tickets. Now the
disappointed ones are vending their
way back to the town. They are hard,
these stone seats. They are small and
without backs. The feet and knees OF
the person above press against yout
back. There is only one slight relief
against the unyielding stone. While
the audience Is gathering, boys and
men parade up and down the aisles
laden with paper-covered pillows stuffed
with confetti, selling these at 8 cents
the pillow. If you are wise you VIII
purchase two.
Above the last stone tier is railing
and the boxes of the wealthy, rooted In
from the sun. Over the railing seno-
ritas have draped gayly colored shawls
which set of the more the dark and
smiling faces, the high combs OF red
white and black and the mantillas OF
similar colors which adorn hair that
has not yielded to the craze ito bob
One box, separated by partitions from
the long corridor Of open ones is SCI
aside for royalty and the great men OF
the town. Today the young prince ano
one male companion occupy the box.
Into the arena come riding two men
In black velvet suits, with boat-shapec
hats and long white plume adornine
each Their horses are sleek and prancS
slowly about the ring. The band plays
a lively tune. These impressive horse
men in their seventeenth century cos
tunes are the alguazil. They approach
beneath the royal box and crave per
mission to begin the "corrida." This Il
given. They ride away out OF the ring
A bugle sounds. The entrance from TIT
paseo is thrown open and into the rms
the whole array of men and horses ant
mules which make up the gaudy ye
somehow oddly impressive parade OF TN
bull-fighting crew come marching. IL
the tune of lifting music they file IN
The alguazil, their horses SO prancint
and SO shiny from much care and goof
feeding lead the procession. Behlnc
on foot in two lines come the toreadorS
TIE cape wielde.s. the banderillero!
and then 10 horsemen-the picadorS-
with long lances at their sides. And a