The professor glued them to his eyes, adjusted them to suit his vision, and then regarded the girl long and earnestly.
“Hum! Ha!” He coughed in a hesitating manner.
“Well, what do you think now?” asked Frank.
“She really looks young,” the man confessed, with great reluctance. “And she is not so repulsive as I thought she would appear.”
“By gum!” gurgled Ephraim, getting his breath for the first time. “Jest give me them air glasses. I want to git a peek at that gal.”
The professor was somewhat reluctant about surrendering the glasses, but Ephraim obtained them and got a “peek.”
“By gum! ef she ain’t a ripper!” he exclaimed. “She jest takes the custard, b’gosh!”
Behind the picadores came the servants, dressed in their holiday costume. In a majestic manner all crossed the arena toward the royal box. It was most picturesque and impressive.
In front of the royal box the entire party formed in a group and made a salute. Then the alcalde arose and tossed the key of the bull pens into the arena, giving a signal for the fight to begin. A gasp of intense eagerness and expectation ran over the great throng of spectators.
A guard picked up the key and placed himself before the door, beyond which the bull could now be heard bellowing. The espadas ran to the first barrier, and vaulted over. The others scattered to various positions, Señorita Zuera dashing to the farther side of the arena, and giving an exhibition of superb horsemanship by going at full speed right up to the barrier, where her horse whirled on its hind legs as if on a pivot.