dazzling sun. A murmur of many voices rose from the throng, and was only broken by the cries of hawkers selling their wares, and by those of the naranjeros, whose oranges, cleverly thrown, always reached their men even at the highest seats. Vendors of fans at a penny each were driving a brisk trade among the unfortunates who were being grilled like lizards in the hot sun. Leathern bottles filled with dark wine were busily circulated, and might be seen to collapse with amazing celerity as they passed from hand to hand. Here and there disputes arose, but no blows were exchanged.

Soon a murmur of excitement announced the clearing of the arena, the soldiers pushing the stragglers before them, little by little, to the accompanying growls of the audience, who were becoming impatient for the commencement of the course. After clearing the arena, there came the procession which precedes the corrida. At the head were the alguaciles, mounted on jet-blåck steeds decked with crimson velvet, while their riders, attired in black, wore a costume of the sixteenth century. These men did not seem to enjoy great popularity, as their approach was greeted by outbursts of shrill whistling and torrents of abuse. Then came the footmen, followed by the banderilleros, the espadas, and, lastly, the chulos, or capeadores. As soon as the latter appeared, the banter changed into noisy applause. They wear a very elegant costume: the head covered with the mantilla of black velvet, ornamented with bows of silk; falling on the back of the neck they carried the moña, a black silk chignon fastened to the coleta, a little tress of hair, a sort of rudimentary tail cultivated by all toreros. This chignon, which might well be an object of envy to a lady, presents a singular contrast to the thick black whiskers of the chulos. The short jacket and waistcoat are partially hidden by a fringe of silk, and peeping out from a pocket at the side of the jacket one could see the corner of a fine cambric handkerchief, broidered by the hand of some dear

in realizing that these men, so coquettishly dressed, are prepared to risk their lives, and play with blood.

The toreros advanced with charming grace, proudly wrapped in their mantles of bright colors, used to attract the bull. Behind them came the picadores, firmly seated on their horses, and wearing broad-brimmed felt hats, ornamented by tufts of ribbons, short jackets decked with bows and loops of ribbons; white open vests, not less ornamented, left the embroidered shirt front in full view. A broad silk waistband supported yellow leathern trowsers, which concealed the iron armor protecting the limbs.

The procession terminated with a troop of attendants in Andalusian costume; slowly it defiled around the arena, and proceeded to salute the señor alcalde-president of the place who had just arrived; they then prepared for the combat. The president gave the key of the toril to one of the alguaciles, who, accompanied by the hooting of the audience, proceeded to open the door of the cell, whence bounded a fierce bull, a superb animal of great size, black as coal, and with wide-spreading horns.

Calderon, the picador, was at his post, that is to say, at eight or nine paces from the left of the door, and two from the barrier. He had already shaded the eyes of his steed with a red handkerchief to prevent him seeing the bull, and guarded his thumb with a shield of leather to prevent the lance slipping from his grasp. The ferocious brute, as it emerged from the darkness of its prison, hesitated a few seconds, as if dazzled by the sun and crowd; then, rushing headlong at Calderon, was received on the lance of the picador, but the steel, protected by a hempen. pad, only grazed the broad shoulder of the bull, and the animal, maddened by the wound, plunged one of its horns into the chest of the horse, from which issued a stream of blood. The poor brute, exhausted from loss of blood, commenced to totter, and while yet the picador was driving the spurs into its quivering flanks, the animal fell forward dead. The audience, without taking the slightest notice of this harrowing incident, clamored for another horse, which soon brought in. While Calderon, embarrassed by his armor, slowly mounted his new steed, the bull had sought the other side of the arena, charging Pinto, surnamed el Bravo, the second picador, who received him with a powerful thrust of the lance in his shoulder; the pole bent with the shock, and the cavalier was hurled to the earth, his

was

poor horses, in place of attacking the dismounted picadores. While a number of chulos rescued Pinto, others used their capas. to draw off the bull from the dying horse, which was being speedily torn and lacerated by the huge sanguinary horns. At last the bull left his victim, and followed one of the chulos, who, taking a circuitous route, soon found himself hotly pursued, and, with a single bound, vaulted over the barrier, while his surprised and disappointed foe stopped for a moment, and then turned his wrath against the friendly barrier, in which he left the marks of his huge horns.

The exploits of the bull produced shouts of applause; in less than a minute he had thrown two picadores and slain two horses, and shouts of "Bravo toro!" rang through the plaza. The picadores had their share of the plaudits, as they had fought bravely. Calderon, who had a fall to avenge, was

from his feet, and bellowing loudly, as if to challenge anew his enemies. The movement was extremely hazardous; when a picador attacks a bull, he arranges, if possible, to fall so that the body of his horse will serve to shield him on one side and the barrier on the other, whereas in the middle of the arena he would be exposed to danger on every side. The daring of Calderon therefore called forth an ovation from the spectators. Excited by the tumult of popular favor, Calderon proceeded to challenge the bull, provoking it by brandishing his lance. Still the animal stood immovable, while the picador, making his horse advance a step, with a rapid action cast his huge hat before the bull; still the noble animal, although doubtless astonished at such audacity, did not move. Calderon finally went so far as to prick the nose of his foe with his lance. This last affront roused his ven

the espada, making a sudden detour, stopped, and gracefully wrapping himself in his cloak, waited the near approach of the bull, when, with great agility, he repeated his movement, again and again evading pursuit, and with the most tranquil air even allowing the sharp horns to touch his mantle. The spectators, as if moved by an electric shock, rose on seeing the fainting Calderon borne from the arena in the arms of the chulos. A large wound was noticeable on the forehead of Calderon, who was thus placed hors de

about as thick as one's thumb, and about sixty centimeters in length, ornamented with ribbons of colored paper; at one end there is an iron dart resembling a bait-hook. These small instruments of torture are fixed into the shoulders of the bull in order to irritate the already wounded animal; they are usually inserted in pairs, one in each shoulder. The work of the banderillero is dangerous and difficult, requiring great agility and coolness; both arms must be raised at once above the bull's horns, so as

almost to touch them; the least hesitation, the faintest doubt, or a single false step, may prove fatal. The banderillas are so frightfully irritating to the bull, that they intensify his fury to the last degree, and have given rise to the popular saying,"Give him the banderillas," addressed to some one who is being worried or chaffed.

Suddenly, as the Gordito was preparing to lay his fourth pair of banderillas, the clarion sounded the death-note. The honor of inflicting the first thrust had fallen to the Tato. The Tato, carrying in his left hand his sword and muleta, advanced to the president's seat, and uncovered his head in graceful salutation. This over, the Alcalde nodded approvingly, and the Tato, making a pirouette, tossed his mantle into the air. Then, with his sword in his right hand and his mantilla in his left, he made straight for the bull.

Passing his muleta, or little red flag, repeatedly before the bull, he failed to rouse it to charge. Then, as if to defy his foe, he lifted the banderillas with the point of his sword, and took up his position, holding his weapon horizontally, and his muleta draped on the ground. The Tato thus presented a superb picture. "How beautifully he stands!" exclaimed the women. But the moment of attack approached -all eyes were fastened upon the statuesque figure. Suddenly the espada advanced upon his foe, the horns touched the silk of his jacket, and his sword sheathed itself in the shoulder of the bull.

aficionadas tossed their bouquets into the arena in order to applaud with all the force of their little hands. The object of this ovation stood in the center of a frightful group of torn and mutilated horses, some dead, and others tossing their heads in agony above dark pools of blood which reflected the strange medley of flowers, fans, and satins, and at the same time the forms of the writhing and excited multitude-an ideal picture, indeed, of the ghastly and the gay of the Spanish bull-fight.

When the excitement had died out, the hats were calmly collected by the attendants, and cleverly tossed back to their respective owners to serve for another occasion. Some hats make at least half a dozen such journeys during a course. But the bull was not yet disposed of, although the sword blade was buried in his breast, and one could only see the hilt. The animal, beginning to totter like a drunken man, turned madly upon his own quivering flesh, then his eyes grew dim; but, as if defiant of death itself, he held his head proudly erect, until his pains were ended by the cachetero, a personage dressed in black, who struck one blow with a poniard, and the noble brute dropped his head in death. To celebrate this solemn event, the band played an Andalusian air

WEIGHING CHARCOAL

much loved by the Spanish spectators, who kept time with hands and feet. The mules were now brought in to clear the arena of the dead animals.

Another bull was waited for with great