home, and the two died together.
Espartero was accorded by far the finest funeral that was ever seen in
Spain, easily eclipsing that of any statesman or royal personage that
ever died there. His loss was made almost a cause for recognised
national mourning. He was an esparto-grass weaver by trade ere he took
to the arena, and before his death was wont to receive between L300 and
L500 for a single afternoon's work in the ring.

[Illustration: ESPARTERO, THE FAMOUS BULL-FIGHTER, WHO WAS KILLED IN THE
MADRID ARENA IN JULY 1894.]

Bull-fighters begin as chulos, drawing about L3 a week, and when
qualified as banderilleros they make from L5 to L30 a week. A
first-class matador, such as Guerrita, draws about L300 or more for a
single fight, and generally there are two first-class matadors in a good
Seville or Madrid fight.

A really good bull-fight costs from L1,500 to L2,000 and more. Good
bulls are worth between L30 and L50 apiece if full-grown and from the
best flocks. The cattle are perfectly wild during their lifetime, and
are allowed to run at large among the plains and marshes as they please.

The horses, poor beasts, are worn-out carriage-hacks, and cost about L2
apiece.

Without question bull-fighting is a truly loathsome sport, and the
British traveller whose curiosity leads him to witness a performance is
rarely tempted to repeat the experiment.

THE DESCENT OF REGINALD HAMPTON.

BY HALLIWELL SUTCLIFFE.

_Illustrated by W. Rainey, R.I._

[Illustration]

Reginald Hampton, the distinguished aeronaut, was at the mercy of any
wind that chose to do him an ill turn. He had entirely lost control of
his balloon--of which he was the only occupant--and, so far as he could
see, the odds were fairly even as to whether he would find a watery
grave in the English Channel, or a rocky one on the Kentish mainland.
First came a kind of gentlemen-at-large breeze, which took him seawards;
then a rival gust drove him back; finally the balloon stopped for a
couple of minutes to think out the situation. Reginald Hampton, being by
nature a fatalist and by training an aeronaut, awaited the decision
without any appearance of impatience or anxiety; when his vehicle was
ready to move on, he would try to fall on his feet if possible, but not
for the world would he wish to hasten the departure.

[Illustration: "IN THE HAMMOCK REPOSED A MAIDEN."]

The balloon, after profound meditation, decided in favour of land, and
in n