Show 14 THE T H E BULL B U L L FIGHT FI G H T correspondent writing from orizaba describes the cruc crues sport in which the mexicans delight wonderful skill displayed by matador in giving the death stroke w special correspondence it seems that a premier troupe ot of bullfighters from madrid spain have been in mexico city for a month or eo so and the local management at an enormous expense I 1 presume in deuced them to stop over here for to day and kill a few bulls for the delec tation of orizaba the bull ring is about the size and shape of an ordin ary city block with a grand stand ana anu bleachers after the approved base ball plan entirely surrounding it the governor of the state of veracruz Vera Croz occupied the next box to ours and presided over the game a la nero emperor of rome the front of his box was draped with a mexican flag a half dozen soldiers guarded his presence and a trumpeter in gorgeous uniform blew calls governing the sport we reached our seats a few min utes before khe the orgies began and had a good look at the occupants of the grand stand and I 1 confess I 1 was sur at the number and character of the people there the ladles ladies in white or gorgeous colors were fully as numerous as the men and a bettar looking better behaved or better dressed crowd never entered the elyrn pic pie the bleachers however were almost devoid ot of women and were packed with a noisy but not drunk en crowd of men an excellent brass band played con tenuously people in the boxes bowed and smiled and chatted the bare square in the middle was unoccupied by bull or man and I 1 sat and waited presently the governor raised his hand as a signal the trumpeter blew a call the audience clapped their hands the big gates opposite opened and in walked ten men dressed in scarlet with jackets fairly covered with gold cord carrying red cloaks on their arms tor for all the world like a male chorus in a comic opera the governor gave another signal the trumpeter blew another blast a gate ate swung open and with a bremen dous dons bellow out came a magnificent bull head down tall up and death glaring in his eyes hardly had he reached the center of the arena when one of the bullfighters still carrying ils his cloak hung carelessly on his arm ran rapidly toward the bull who im med mediately lately charged him ot of course I 1 knew mew better but I 1 could not help thinking it was all up with mr bull the whole stick covered with tissue paper roses satin ribbons etc these men carried no chloal s but only those sticks straight they walked into tha the arena from different directions and each tried by cries and waving his paper covered sticks to induce mr bull to charge him mr air bull in the meantime was standing in the middle of the arena pawing the earth and making up his mind which of thesa these three worries he would send to tion finally he lowered his head and charged the one who stood di dl erectly in front of our box the maa mart never moved a fraction of an inch of the bull but stood there like a statue holding those barbed sticks in front of him and waiting it seemed to me to be tossed to kingdom come but just at the instant the bull a horns were about to touch him he made a halt half turn leaned over and stuck those two sticks into the bull s neck just at the point where the shoulder blades came tog together etherl and then you should have heard the them cheers from the bleachers the clapping of bands hands in the grand stand soon the governor gives another signal the trumpeter blows another blast the band which has all ther time been playing beautiful spanish music and placing it quite well too stopped and one man carrying abright red cloak over his left arm and a bright long thin rapier in his right hand stalked majestically forward the crowd applauded encouragingly the matador bowed reverently toward the governors box carelessly toward the balance of the grand stand superciliously toward the bleach bleachers and just had time to leap aside as mr air bull charged him then tor for ten min utes I 1 saw skipping and jumping aside such as I 1 did not think man could do this was the premier espola the star performer the chief sticker and he made the other fellows look like 30 cents for one thing he walked into the ring after giving bis his coat to an attendant to hold carrying only a pole about 8 feet long the bull came at him like an express train and the matador stood still leaning on his pole making not a move then just as the bulls head touched the pole up rose the matador and cleared the bull in one leap just as a boy jumps a stream As be he sailed over the bull of course the bull bulls s head pushed the pole ole out of the ground and there 11 WA I 1 A I 1 0 matador about to kill bull fighter however he stepped grace fully to one side and the bull passed him head down so close it seemed to me he lie grazed him then two more of the men came into the arena and such skylarking with a maddened bull I 1 never dreamed of they teased him with their cloaks they ran back and forth they flirted the cloaks in his eyes and leaped so easily to one side clde of danger from his horns that mr bull was wag fairly wild with rage and charged first one and then another of the three men ceaselessly presently the governor governors s trumpeter blew another blast the three men retired to their corners and out came three other men carrying each two stick sticks about 2 feet long barbed at one end with a kind of fish fishhook hook and stood the matador right side up pole and ancl all then you could almost hear the cheers in new york another blast from the trumpet and the matador threw away his pole took his cloak and sword teased the bull for a minute or two and then in a lash as the bun rushed past him he drove the down between the bull bulls s shoulders and drew it out again so quick that not a drop of blood followed it the bull took halt half a dozen steps stopped quivered and sank down don dead so there Is a bull fight as seen in orizaba |