For a time he played with the furious beast, which continually plunged at the red banner, the man skilfully stepping aside. At last he seemed to be prepared for the final blow. Holding the banner in his left hand, he permitted the bull to make a dive at it; and, while his head was down, he reached over his horns with the sword, and plunged it in between the shoulder-blades. His aim was sure: he had pierced the heart, and the bull dropped dead. Again the applause shook the arena, and the audience in the lower part of the building hurled their hats and caps into the ring; and a shower of cigars, mingled with an occasional piece of silver, followed the head-gear. The victorious espada picked up the cigars and money, bowing his thanks all the time, while the chulos tossed back the hats and caps.
“‘You can take my hat’ is what they mean by that, I suppose,” said Murray.
“That is one of the ways a Spanish audience has of expressing their approbation in strong terms,” replied the doctor.
A team of half a dozen mules, tricked out in the gayest colors, galloped into the ring; and, when a sling had been passed over the horns of the dead bull, he was dragged out at a side gate. The doors had hardly closed upon the last scene before the main gates were thrown wide open again, and another bull bounded into the arena, where the picadores and the chulos were already in position for action. The second act was about like the first. Four horses were killed by the second bull, which was even more savage than the first. The banderillero was unfortunate in his first attempt, and was hooted by the audience; but in a second attempt he redeemed himself. The espada got his sword into the bull; but he did not hit the vital part, and he was unable to withdraw his weapon. The animal flew around the ring with the sword in his shoulders, while the audience yelled, and taunted the unlucky hero. It was not allowable for him to take another sword; and the bull was lured to the side of the ring, where the espada leaped upon a screen, and recovered his blade. In a second trial he did the business so handsomely that he regained the credit he had temporarily lost.
Many of the students did not stay to see the second bull slain; and not more than half of them staid till the conclusion of the funcion. One of the last of the bulls would not fight at all, and evidently belonged to the peace society; but neither the audience nor the lidiadores had any mercy for him.
“Perros! Perros!” shouted the audience, when it was found that the bull had no pluck.
“Perros! Perros!” screamed some of the wildest of the students, without having the least idea what the word meant.
“What does all that mean?” asked Murray.
“Perros means dogs. Not long ago, when a bull would not fight, they used to set dogs upon him to worry and excite him,” answered the doctor.