EL TORERO.

Daily Telegraph (Napier), Issue 5875, 5 July 1890, Page 2 (Supplement)

EL TORERO.

Caraniba ! Work on for three months with promises of payment in six months' time ! In the meantime I must pay my rent, must have my cigarettes, must have my game of dominoes and my cup of cafe negro after breakfast, and my wife and my little girls must have their pretty dresses, their pretty boots, and tiieir pretty fans !

Caramba ! It is hard work to meet all those, necessary expenses, even with winning at dominoes occasionally, or now and then winning a few pesetas by the lottcrv.

Everything is wrong in Spain ! Poor Spain, and poor people !

Our services are accepted by the Government, and who so foolish as to expect to havi> those services recompensed before lie sees a notification in the Gazette that all those who were not paid six mouths ago, may pass at the Treasury in three months' time to have the pleasure of receiving the payment of the past months ?

lam tired of it all. It is maddening to b« all day in a telegraph office, with its eternal ding-a-ning-a-ning ! and tic-tic-a-tic ! I would rather face a toro any day than stand this insipid office life.

At least one may attain a certain fame as a bullfighter, and perhaps gain a fortune in a short lime : but in the Government what chance is there for a man except to make uebts, and force others to do as he does—live on the promise; of payment .'

Mazautitii lunl n very prepossessing appearance : past the middle height, he was powerful :mil graceful at tin , same time. His handsome and energetic face attracted attention on all sides : while bis amiable disposition and generous nature secured him many personal friends.

Wise heads may shake at beauty. Though only skin deep, what a power it has ! And how often has it not proved the iirsf step on the ladder of success ? Tlic first impression of a handsome face is rarely anything else than a pleasing one. A debutant who has the good fortune to possess tlw 'only' skin-deep beauty lias but to make the attempt, and he may be sure of encouragement; only perseverance is necessary on his part.

Dame Fortune has a weakness for good-looking people,, and often she smiles on tltem when sin; turns from plain-faced candidates.

It was the second Sunday in November, and it was announced that a new espnda was to kill the bull at the corrida that was to take place that afternoon.

The es.pai.la or matador who was to make his first appearance was a young man who had passed four or five years in the Government service, and who, disheartened by the uncertainty of official life, had adopted that of torero, or bullfighter, a career that is becoming every day more favored by young men of birth and position. He had already gived proof of his courage and precision in dispatching the animal who had to defend so madly his life against such odds.

Only a few were allowed to witness these national rehearsals, which took place some days before that appointed for the corrida. However, the aqundor.s or water-carriers, Imtclier hoys, ami street arabs in general managed to gain admission. On one of those occasions a young Andalusian hull escaped over the railing, to the terror of the unwashed spectators, but the young terero followed the brute ami laid him lifeless before lie had time to injure anyone.

At 4 o'clock in the afternoon the Plaza do F/oros, an immense amphitheatre, wits crowded in every part, from the μ-rouml to the coiling, forming ii great lining of human faces. Already the impatient spectator? struck that monotonous noise like the tamtam, the men with their sticks, the women with their fans ; for women of high and low degree, old and young, pretty and ugly, little boys and girls, all attend the great national sport, and it is only the stranger that is struck with horror at some parts of the performance.

There is a grand flourish of trumpets, and then enters the procession of picadors or horsemen, the ehulas or attendants who carry red cloths, which are used l>y them to divert the attention of the bull in case he attacks too persistently a picador whose horse has fallen, as man and horse are strapped together. The banderilleros are those who run darts into the bull to urge him on to the fight. All these men are most gorgeously arrayed in the national dress, accompanied by a band of music The mane of the hull is adorned with a bunch of ribbons of every color, those which predominate being red and yellow, the Spanish colors. A picador makes an attempt to seine these ribbons, and thus the combat commences. Two picadors were thrown and their horses ripped open. Fresh men and horses replace them.

The toro had again cleared the place of horses and men, and stood in the middle of the arena, lashing his tail, and looking fiercely round for the next enemy.

Mazantini, wearing a handsome costume of matador, entered quietly and calmly, with a red capa or cloak on his left arm, and his espado or sword in his right hand. Dexterously he arranged the cnpa'on his arm, in such a way as to hide himself, or pretend to the bull that he was hiding behind it.

The animal made a dash at the capa, then turning quickly only to see the same thing before him. He stopped short with his nead low, and his tail lashing, waiting for the next attack.

Again the capa was before his eyes, but he did not run- toward it ; he turned aside, hoping t<\.-..catch his eneniv. who saw in a flash the bull's intention. Quickly and gracefully with the same calm face, Mazantini sprang to the opposite direction, the horns of tlie animal just lightly touching him. One moment it was Bravo ! Bravo Mnznntini !' ' Another it was Bravo toro !

Again the espada approached the bull, holding his red cloak as before. Tlie animal made a rush at it; at the same moment Mazantini dropped the point of his sword on the vital spot of the brave brute's neck, killing him at once. The body was soon dragged off the ground by three mules richly decorated with trappings and bells, and partly covered with bright colored flags. Another flourish of trumpets and another bull rushes on the arena, stops for a second, glares slowly found, then makes a wild dash at a picador. Next instant the man and his horse are in the air. Down they come together, the man probably dead is taken from under the horse, which, disengaged from his rider, tries to get to his feet: the poor brute is disembowelled, the simple effort to move finished his life.

In the meantime the toro attacks first one and then mother picador. It has ripped open another horse, from whose rider he has received a thrust of a lance. The horse gallops on, pursued by the enraged tora. The straps by which the man was fastened to his horse have broken. As he falls, the bull catches him on his horns, and throws him far enough to break every bone in his body.

To the surprise of every one, the man is on his feet in an instant, and jumps over a rail that is j>lnced there for that purpose.

The poor horse, followed by the bull, continues his gallop, to save the little life that renin ins. On he goes, covered with gore, his entrils trailing on the ground, till lie drops lifeless.

It is only the work of a minute or two to clear the arena of all that is unsightly. The light was now between the espada and the maddened brute. From the first it was evident that there was danger for tlie man.

The bull, instead of rushing at the cloak, as is usual, turned at once to attack liis enemy. It was a wary brute, and.knew lu>\v to use its magnificent horns. Three times (he man escaped. Once lie only saved himself by cleverly catching the horns that threatened his life, and jumping clean over the animal's back.

Cries <>f ' l>nivi)! bravo !" rent the air. Again In , fared tlh> hull. In his calm, pain fact , was written. ' Conquer or die,'and it. would foully seem that tli!. , multitude waited silently to see which would die first.

Women tainted, men hot and swore ; the excitement was at its height.. The bull's horns were seen to touch the torero as his sword struck the animal's neck. Both fell together. Mazantini was thought to be dead as lie was carried out. lie had killed the bull Justus the horn entered his side. Again die multitude yelled, ' liravo ! bravo Mazantini ! bravo ! Bravo, Toro ! Viva Mazantini !' But he was unconscious of his glory, and for three or four days he lay in imminent danger. From every part of Spain came telegrams and letters of sympathy and condolence. At the end of the week he was pronounced on the way to recovery.

His convalescence was long and fatiguing, but when he was able again to appear in public there was a demonstration at every place to which he went. He had determined on success, and he had it to his heart's content.

Ho had made a good sum of money by the corrida that had so nearly proved fatal to him. Part of what he had gained he put aside to assist those who were less fortunate than himself at a pecuniary point of view.

than one of his old comrades of the Government felt the benefit of his good fortune.

His purse was always ready to assist those who had to work so long before they could hope to have their services recognised.