myself. He used to lecture me on something he
called the Man-Animal War. He said one of the worst things in the war
was the thousands of bulls that had been tortured to death."

"Peculiar idea. Of course--"

"He claimed bullfights slipped up on this country. Back when it wasn't
legal, they spaded up the ground real good. There were movies, and
books, and magazines, and foreign broadcasts, all ravin' about how brave
and noble it was for a bunch of men to worry and torture a stupid animal
like a bull, till he couldn't hardly hold his head up, and then run a
sword in 'im."

"Naturally, you--"

"I don't know how many times he told me a bull had more brains than a
horse, but less then a jackass. He said bullfightin' wasn't a sport,
even if the bull got a man sometimes: and he had the idea the worst
thing was the four or five horses, that ever' bull killed, took with
'im. They had some bloodless bullfights in California, and the nut
colonies out there like it so good, first thing you know, we really had
it. It came to East Tennessee 'cause this was one of the biggest
cattle-raisin' sections, before the Lakes took the grazin' land."

"Surely, Stonecypher, you--"

"My father always claimed if the bullfighters were near as brave as they
said, they'd take on a really intelligent animal sometimes, like a
man-eatin' tiger. He even thought a man was mentalill to fight a bull in
the first place." Stonecypher grinned. "No, you don't need to worry
about me, ringmaster. I hate to admit it, but the old man is the one who
was mentalill."

Oswell revealed all of his steel teeth in a broad smile. "You had me
worried!" he wheezed. "Now, your offer."

"I'll go even better," Stonecypher said, "just to show how set I am on
gettin' back in the business. If Moe's not brave, I got two yearlin's
you can have for free."

"How generous! You've reassured me, Stonecypher. I have confidence, now,
that the show will be a great success! I must go! You have no conception
of the life a ringmaster leads before a fight. I won't require a written
guarantee. I trust you, Stonecypher! See you tomorrow, I hope! I never
liked July. If the Government would only make more Lakes, it might cool
off! I hope--"

The whir of the red butterflier's wings terminated Oswell's discourse.
With a face like a gored bullkiller, Stonecypher watched the
ringmaster's departure. Another butterflier hovered above the mountain.
This one was green and gold with the canopy