“Well, will they set the dogs upon him?” inquired Murray.
“No, I suppose not; for here in the bill it says, ‘No dogs will be used; but fire-banderillas will be substituted for bulls that will not fight at the call of the authorities.’”
This expedient was resorted to in the present case; the bull was frightened, and showed a little pluck. After he had upset a picador, and charged on a chulo, he leaped over the fence into the avenue. The loafers gathered there sprang into the ring; but the animal was speedily driven back, and was finally killed without having done any great damage to the horses.
The last bull was the fiercest of them all; and he came into the arena roaring like a lion. He demolished two picadores in the twinkling of an eye, and made it lively for all the performers. “Bravo, Toro!” shouted the people, for they applaud the bull as well as the actors. The espada stabbed him three times before he killed him.
Six bulls and seventeen horses had been slain: the last one had killed five. Even the most insensible of the students had had enough of it; and most of them declared that it was the most barbarous spectacle they had ever seen. They pitied the poor horses, and some of them would not have been greatly distressed if the bull had tossed up a few of the performers. The doctor was disgusted, though he had done his best to have the students see this cosa de España. The principal refused to go farther than the gate of the plaza.
“I don’t care to see another,” said Dr. Winstock to his Spanish friend, who sat near him. “It is barbarous; and I hope the people of Spain will soon abolish these spectacles.”
“Barbarous, is it?” laughed the Spanish gentleman. “Do you think it is any worse than the prize-fights you have in England and America?”
“Only a few low ruffians go to prize-fights in England and America,” replied the doctor warmly. “They are forbidden by law, and those who engage in them are sent to the penitentiary. But bull-fights are managed by the authorities of the province, presided over by the queen or members of the royal family.”
All hands returned to the vessels of the squadron; and early the next morning the fleet sailed for Gibraltar. The river was still very high; and, though the Prince stirred up the mud once or twice, she reached the mouth of the river in good time, and the squadron stood away for the Rock, where it arrived the next day.
Raymond was delighted to be on board of the Tritonia again, and at his duties. Enough of his story was told to the students to enable them to understand his case, and why he had been excused for running away. New rank had been assigned at the beginning of the month, and Raymond found on his return that he was second master, as before; the faculty voting that he was entitled to his old rank.