Year: 1879

gave hope of safe shelter and abundant
food. An old mexican, seated upon the
doorstep, readily granted my request for
accommodations for the night. / told
my host that l wished to employ q guide
who knew the way across the country to
a location which L designated. He in
formed me that one could not be had the
next day, as there was to be great bull
fight on the edge of the town, and the
man l would have to employ was to fight
the bull. | decided at once to remain
and witness the contest.


The scene of the fight was to be in
an old corral, inclosed on three sides by
high and thick adobe walls, and on the
other by what appeared to be an impen-
etrable fence of q growth of pitahaya,
cactus of futed columnar form and armed
with bristling array of strong sharp
thorns. My host procured for me front
seat, from which l could obtain a full
view of the arena


After taking my seat I looked down in
TO the corral, and could not but admire
my guide, not only for his powerful and
perfect build, but also for his goodhumor-
ed expression, and calm self-possession.
There was some little delay before the
bull came upon the scene, but when a
large gate in the adobe wall was opened
and he entered the corral with rush and
bound, terrible presentment of an
awful tragedy seemed to thrill the entire
multitude. For myself it 80 painfully
impressed me that if could easily have left
the place, would have done So although
but moment before | had been so anx.
lous to witness the contest. 1t was a
splendid animal, well knit, strong and
powerful. 1t seemed to comprehend the
situation at once, for with q loud tone it
beloved forth its defiance to its antagon-
ist, and then with head lowered to the
ground it commenced paving the earth
and giving demonstrations of speedily
commencing the combat. The attendants
waved their red flag before it, and irri-
tated it more by prodding it with their
sharp-pointed lances. Our hero closely
watched It's every movement with keen
and intense interest, evidently aware that
it might make q sudden rush at any mo-
ment. With roar that appeared to
shake the earth, and that certainly threw
terror into every heart in that audience,
it sprang forward with the design of tos-
sing the Mexican into the air, but he
sprang out of the way.


Two or three times the bull renewed
the attack with no better result, and ev-
cry time he escaped the lunge of the ami
NAL, the audience shouted and cheered
Justify, appearing 20 have overcome the
presentlment of evil, and having full
confidence in his ability to win the victo-
ry whenever he chose to do so. 1t would
hardly be credited that the countenarce
Of bull could vary in its expression, but
it certainly appeared as if intense rage and
demoniacal hate stood out upon every
hair on its face, and the more it was baf
fled IN its attempts to gore its intended
victim the deeper and wilder became that
expression of vicious propensity. One
of the attendants gave the bull more Sc
we're thrust than he intended to, when it
turned so suddenly upon him that, before
he could evade the attack, the animal had
him upon its horns, and, ripping the
body open with the exertion, tossed him
high in the air, while his blood spouted
out upon his face. The man fell with
heavy thud upon the soil, and in an in
slant the bull was goriug him again and
again. In vain the others tried to divert
its attention from the man, or endeavor
to rescue their fallen companion from his
terrible fate. In less time than it requi-
res to narrate the episode, the poor fel-
low was a Hfeless corpse.


1t was a soul sickening sight Some
of the women tainted at once, while the
others screamed in terror and horror at
the scene. All this commotion, combined
with tho scent of fresh blood, wrought
the bull into state of frenzy, and it
SWEPT around and across the inclosure
with such violence and rapidity that the
men could with difficulty escape from the
ruhing attacks. The cry was given to
open the gate and let the bull pass into
tie stall in which it had been kept, but
the gatekeeper had become too terrified to
understand the order or to perform his
duty, and the gate remained closed. The
nerve of my guide never faltered for an
instant but seeing the terror of the 9th.
ers, and witnessing the fury of the l.
NAL, he drew his long knife and calmly
awaited the next rush to make the fatal
thrust that should terminate the existence
of the bull and the scene of excitement.
Once more the bull swooped down toward
him, and he stood ready to strike the
knife into his neck, but as he was at
tempting to spring back and let the bull
pass by him before doing SO, his foot
slipped, and he was at once impaled up
on the horns of the beast, and in a mo-
ment his ifeless body fell within a few
feet of his dead comrade.


The excitement of the crowd now
reached the mostintense point; itamount.
ed to actual agony. For moment they
were spell-b1upd with terror, and gave
utterance to piercing shrieks and cries.
Then several shots were fred at the bull
none OF which took serious effect, but
only appeared to increase its madnes and
Ire. Suddenly the bull. now blinded
with rage AID madieded by wounds it
had received, dashed against the thorpy
bar1er of the pitahava. and. breaking,