Evening star., 1928-12-16

Ore would like to think this was done
from humane motives, but greatly fear
it, is to save money on horses. At the
same time this decree went into effect
in the Summer of 1928, the custom OF
thrusting burning darts into bulls which
failed to keep fighting was ordered
stopped.
THE procession passes around the
= ring. From the whifietrees drawn
by the three sturdy mules long chain
extends. It makes a long, deep mark
in the sand. Soon it viii enwrap the
horns of the vanquished and dead pun,
and the three mules will strain at the
traces as they draw from the ring the
inanimate mass that but quarter OF
an hour before was all fire and fury
The native crowd does not deign
glance at the mules and their red
coated drivers. They gaze with admir-
ing eyes upon the two marching lines
led by the toreadorS. In these TWO
lines are l6 men in tight fitting suits OF
green and silver and gold-the torea-
dors, the cape wielders ana the oan-
derilleroS.
The members of the "caudrilia' (the
procession) halt before the royal box
and receive the keys to the torll.
The muleteers, the mules. the picadors
and the alguazils depart. The tore
adors and the wielders of the capes
stand close to the high wooden fence.
A gate swings open. The first bull
bounds into the ring. From 4,Oo0
tfroats come varied noises. the pun
stops. He gazes about wondering. All
is so strange to this great beast who
all his life has roamed upon those
silent plains. Ahead of him suddenly
flashes the rose red of one of the mag
! nificent capes. He charges. His low
! cred head strikes this yielding wall OF
color. Surprised, and in an endeavor
to quickly stay his progress, the beast
! goes sliding. He whirls. Another cape
/ draws him on. Around him are five
capes. Now the man in the green suit
| is PLAYING him. Now the one in the
| silver. Now it is the one in gold. A
shout goes up from the crowd for this
| is Villalta, the favorite matador, or
espada. the killer of bulls whose time
| is worth $4,000 a day. And this is no
ordinary day, for no less than eight
bulls are to be killed before the sun has
set, eight bulls whose value probably
| totals $4,000 more. 1t Is an expensive
form of entertainment, this bull fight
! ing, but there is one SatlStactlon-Aail
/ the profits go to hospitals and the poor
Now villalta, the favorite> matador,
the great espada, draws the bull with
clever cape work to the shady side OF
the ring. One must be Spanish, or
one must have seen many, many en-
gagcments between man and beast In
such ring to fully appreciate the dar-
ing. the dex5erity. the agility, the cool.
ness, the amazingly exact judgment OF
this man, and his kind.
This is fete day. And perhaps be-
cause of this, perhaps because of the
warmth of the crowds greeting, Viilalta
does something unusual He plays al
three parts, "chulo" (cape wieider)
banderillero and the matador.
Again and again Villalta draws the
bull to him. 1t passes so close that ths
onlooker catches breath, for the horn:
seem certain to pierce that slim body
in its so garish golden uniform Blu
the crowd is tickle, quick to tire. Theil
yells take on different tone. Seeing
this, the fond darling of the momen
ago draws back to the fence. Tht
bugle has sounded for the coming O
the picadors. Three horsenen ride
into the ring, and take up positions
close to the fence, dividing the space
of the circle equally between them.