nd capable of containing
many thousands, with a separate enclosure, at a more elevated stand,
filled with troops, with fixed bayonets, and commanding a good sweep
around the audience. The exhibition was more of a cow-combat than an
old-fashioned bull-fight; they are miserable, disgusting scenes at best,
and the stranger ever takes sides with the tortured beasts against their
brutal tormentors. Here the horns were sawed partly off, or blunted with
leaden beads; in other respects the affair was conducted as elsewhere.
As the military governor, Yanes, appeared beneath his crimson canopy,
the music ceased; the gayly-dressed bands of picadores, bandilleros,
tauridors, on foot and horse, headed by the Matador, with long toledo in
his hands, bowed reverently before the General and Judges; then crossing
themselves, a pause ensued; the dulce men, and cigar venders, old
beldames with chairs, and boys with _sombra_--shade tickets--held their
peace. The arena was cleared of all but the mounted prickers and
scarfmen; a bugle sounded, low, heavy panels within the barricade of
the circus swung back, and in rushed the bulls. It is always to me the
finest sight, when the fierce beast--before becoming blinded with
rage--lightly stirs the ground bark with his fore foot, moves his head
slowly from side to side--the eyes flaming in a sparkle of lambent
jet--when with breath short and quick, with a wary glance around, he
selects--poor fool--some light, fluttering object, instead of the arms
that wave it, gives one deep angry bellow, and dashes forward. Then
begin the leaping antics of his active enemies: they tease him to
insanity, fire-work him, until the sulphurous flames blister his tough
hide; hood him, prick him, stab him--he is killed; and the two white
steeds, decorated with streaming red ribbons, bound in, and the
slaughtered beast, with glassy eyes and lolling tongue, is dragged out.
Sometimes, though rarely, the animal is terrified by his novel position,
and no coaxing will make him show fight; then boys and vagabonds
generally are permitted to leap the barricades, and chase the scared
brute about the circus, with shouts and hisses, when he is driven out to
feed the dogs. Then there are cheering _gritos_ for particularly
dextrous picadors, who, with long poles, and a short spike at the end,
afoot, withstand the lunge of the bull, until the hide in the terrible
exertion is nearly entirely loosened from the frame; or when the daring
M