Guerrita, the most famous "espadeo " in Spain, and Minuto-the tiniest of creatures, but possessed of courage and daring which were absolutely marvellous-were to be the matadores. Everything and everybody connected with the corrida was to come from Spain. It was sure to be fine, and it would be impossible for me to see one under better circumstances, as their friend Monsieur D knew Guerrita, Minuto, and everybody connected with the management, and through his influence I could meet these interesting matadores, and be taken behind the scenes the day before the corrida took place. As subscribers they were entitled to the best of seats, and she was sure a good one could be procured for me. It would be very crowded at Nîmes. Should she secure a room for me at the little hotel they were accustomed to stay at? Our mutual friend Mademoiselle R of Marseilles had hoped to be one of our little party, but she was quite ill, poor child, and would probably have to give up accompanying her father, who was to sit in the president's loge to help preside, and who would always journey any distance to witness a good corrida. It was evident, after reading all this, that a great deal of trouble had been taken in my behalf, and although I possessed absolutely no curiosity to see a bull-fight, and held the usual ideas concerning its barbarity, I felt that matters had gone too far for me to be able to excuse myself on the plea of scruples as to the immorality of the exhibition. It was a day's journey to Nîmes, but at least I would have all the next day in which to recover from my fatigue. A telegram must be sent off at once to say that I would arrive Friday night, September 24, and I could only hope that, once there, my distaste for the disagreeable features of the spectacle would not prevent me from meeting all this enthusiasm with some degree of responsiveness.

I had often heard that Spain's national sport had taken the deepest possible root in the land of its adoption, but when one does not come in contact with those who are interested in a special diversion of this kind, it may exist on all sides, thrive and increase, and yet scarcely attract the notice of the uninitiated. I had often travelled through the Midi, knew vaguely that bull-fights were extensively patronized by its inhabitants, but had never

CUADRILLA DE GUERRITA.

MATADOR.

Rafael Guerra-Guerrita.

PICADORES.

Antonio Bejarano-Pegote. Rafael Moreno-Beao. Réserve: Antonio Medina.

BANDERILLEROS.

Juan Molina-Lajartijo.
Antonio Guerra.
Francisco Gonzalez-Patatero.

PUNTILLERO.

Joachin del Rio-Alones.

CUADRILLA DE MINUTO.

MATADOR.

PICADORES.

Manuel Vargas-Tornero. Angel Guerrero-Grande. Réserve: Teodoro Amare.

BANDERILLEROS. Manuel Antolin. Jose Gonzalo-Gonzalito. José Vargas-Noteveas.

PUNTILLERO.

Francisco Roig-Pastoret.

Seeing my interest in one of these affiches, a woman selling books and papers at a stand near where it was posted up offered me a little pamphlet with sketches of Guerrita and Minuto. I gained from it a good deal of information that surprised me, for one could not follow the developments in the lives of these men without realizing what I had previously failed to take into consideration-that in order to work up from the ranks to a consummate mastership of the matador's art phenomenal strength of purpose and complete self-control are required. Minuto's parents destined him for a profession, but the boy's absorbing desire to be a torero evinced itself in childhood, and failing to overcome predilections which seemed inborn, they abandoned their ambitions in favor of his own. public career began at an extremely early age, and when only sixteen he figured as matador in a celebrated cuadrilla of Sevilian youths-niños Sevillanos. It seemed strange, handicapped as he was by diminutive proportions, that he should have been able to achieve the long list of triumphs recorded in the notes as to his different successful appearances, but the fact that he had served as alternative with such noted diestros as Lajartijo and Mazzantini, for example, was proof as to his ability. And now, at twenty-seven years of age, he was to appear with the great Guerrita, his senior by ten years, and far and away the most experienced and finished of all these swordsmen.

godfather, whose memory

was held dear, and whose great deeds were cited for the purpose of firing the imagination of the child and of arousing his ambition.

There was a pretty story* of the way in which Guerrita, at twelve years of age, killed his first toros, arising from his bed in the middle of the night to steal his father's keys, and going forth alone by moonlight to do battle with and conquer the animals which were to have been slaughtered on the following day. It seemed too picturesque an episode to be quite natural, and likely enough was aggerated. His having killed full-grown toros at that age and unassisted was in a high degree improbable. I should certainly ask him if it was true, when I met him-if I really did meet him. I wondered if this would come to pass.

His

Guerrita seems to have been surround

ex

Nîmes was crowded when I reached there; but that was nothing to what it would be on the morrow, my friends assured me, according me the warmest of welcomes, and telling me of all the kind plans they had made by which forethought I was to gain many privileges, it was easy to believe. The next morning Monsieur D- arrived, and at once assured us he was at our disposal and in readiness to take us anywhere, everywhere. Mademoiselle was an American, and unfamiliar with all the details in regard to a corrida? He would do his best * A true one, as I found.

walking out to the corral, if we did not mind a little exercise, and on the way he would try to tell me about toros and toreros. He certainly kept his word, and by the time our walk was over I felt that I had begun to grasp the meaning of much which I had hitherto felt puzzled about. It was interesting to hear that there were regular schools for the training of toreros. They were made athletic and supple by every conceivable form of exercise, he assured me, and the scientific parts of their art were systematized and developed there in all the perfection of minute detail. A great torero was born a torero-it was in him to become one. The necessary gifts could not be acquired; only cultivated when possessed.

The ceremony of the giving of the sword was very impressive, and it was a thoroughly solemn moment when a torero was created. The sword and muleta -the red scarf used by toreros to place the bull in position for the death-thrustwere handed to him with the words, "Toma usted, y quiera Dios que le salga con provecho" (Take these, and please God you may prove an honor to your country). A still more beautiful cere

THE MAYORAL.

66

THE CLUMSY CREATURES WERE SET IN MOTION.'

99

mony marked the withdrawal of a matador from public life. The coleta, or long lock of hair (to which the mona, or small silken waterfall, was fastened-the badge of a torero, and of use in the support of his capa during some of the passes executed), was then cut off with a golden scissors.

I asked about the duties of the different members of the cuadrillas, and was told in just what ways the clever picadores could save their horses; of how adroit banderilleros were best able to fulfil their dangerous task of piercing the toro with pairs of banderillas, or little decorated javelins, and of the faena, or particular style of work identified with each torero, individuality entering into the use of capa, muleta, or sword, although conventional passes were rigidly adhered to and traditions sustained. Naturally much of the success of a corrida depends on the toros, and the ganaderias where they are raised are therefore a very important feature of the enterprise.

I was curious to know something about the prices paid for the different animals, and was told that six fine toros would cost nine thousand francs, and that the horses averaged about two hundred and fifty francs apiece. "And the matador, how much does he make," I asked, "for risking his life, as I suppose he does every time he enters the arena?" "Guerrita receives a thousand dollars for each corrida." The answer was given in English,

THE FIRST BULL.-THE FALL OF THE PICADOR: GUERRITA GETTING READY.

so that I should not fail to realize the importance of the sum. "And the less distinguished ones?" "Well, they of course have less. I suppose I may say between four and six hundred dollars, according to the reputations they may have achieved."

We had at last arrived at the corral, and were allowed to pass through the heavily barred doors at sight of our escort, who was evidently a great favorite with the officials, besides being a privileged member of various toro clubs. The strictest possible discipline was in force, and admittance was withheld from all save those identified with the management. The men moved about silently and gravely in the fulfilment of their tasks, it being considered important to avoid any disturbance likely to excite the toros in the adjoining enclosure.

The stables to the right of the main entrance contained twenty-four horses, ranged in their stalls-a dozen on each side-peacefully disposing of their rations and happily unconscious of their impending doom. Before each corrida the picadores have a trial of their mounts in the arena, and are thus able to discard such animals as promise to especially imperil their own and their riders' lives through inability to fulfil what is required of them. There was a good deal to be seen in the harness-room, for two of the head men were superintending the packing of saddles, gay trappings for the mules, and various accoutrements, all of which were to be transported to the arena during the course of the day. My attention was called to the chain-armor hangings de

pending from the saddles so as to protect the horses from the horns of the toro. The stirrups were very cumbersome, and had great iron foot-pieces, the right shoe being completely boxed in. It was from this side that the picador was to lunge with his pica at the toro, therefore it was necessary that his foot should be encased in this massive shield; but one wondered how he could disentangle himself from his horse while thus fastened, in the event of his falling.

With the mayoral, or head keeper, as our guide, we went to the upper story to look down at the bulls in the open. We conferred in whispers, it being against the rule to speak out loud, and took turns in trying to see the animals through small peep-holes made for that purpose in a temporary door which shut off the gallery surrounding the enclosure outside. It was not very satisfactory, and I, for my part, felt anything but content with the mere glimpse I had had of one large black toro reposing beneath the shadow of a tree. I had brought my camera, hoping to snatch a photograph of the scene, and my disappointment must have been evident, for our friend the mayoral signed to me to follow him, and smuggling me quickly outside, led the way to the extreme end of the enclosure, where favorable conditions as to light and view were to be obtained. A peculiar low whistle, a handful of gravel lightly thrown in their direction, and the clumsy creatures were set in motion, and several pictures secured. A word to my silent guide as we were about to retrace our steps, and with ready acquiescence--as being happy to gratify a lady's passing whim, and with absolute freedom from self-consciousness

FIRST BULL.-PASSING THE MULETA.

-the man drew himself up against the wall as simply and as naturally as if he had spent the better part of his life in having his picture taken.

The opposite side of the stables from where the horses were kept was devoted to the toros. It was there that we inspected the simple but effective apparatus for transferring them from the cars they came in to box-stalls, and later from these compartments to the covered enclosure annexed to the one we had just come from. The cars were mammoth wooden vehicles, like square boxes on wheels, each one just large enough to hold a toro. They were tremendously thick through, unwieldy enough in their empty state, and I could not understand how it was possible to move them about the country when once the bulls were inside of them. But it was in these same cars that the very animals we had been looking at had journeyed from the ganaderia near Seville. They

had been nine days en route, and had travelled by land and water. Everything in this section was massive, bolts, bars, and ropes being suggestively thick and strong, and the mechanical processes of the simplest order. A system of trap-doors worked by ropes and pulleys was adopted whenever the transferrences were made, the men being stationed in safety overhead, and the door being raised up to allow of the animal passing out or in.

In the afternoon we visited the arena. First, the places we were to occupy the next day were hunted up, and I was shown how the seats selected were situated directly to the left of the president's box and on the same

row-they certainly could not have been better. We watched the carpenters at work on the extra benches erected to meet the unusual demand for additional tickets; saw the decorators drape a few flags here and there, effectively interweaving the Spanish colors with those of France; but the splendid lines of the superb old structure needed very little adornment, and the draperies were neither elaborate nor profuse. Some photographers were busy taking views of the interior; an occasional sight-seer would enter-a priest, a woman wearing the costume of an Arlesienne, a soldier in vivid scarlet, would glance curiously at the preparations and then disappear. We climbed to the summit and looked at the centre of the arena. I tried to fancy what it would be like as the scene of a corrida, but somehow it was an easier matter to people it with the audiences of the past, and to conjure up a vision of the Roman games. Here and there, blossoming from a handful of earth hidden within the crevices of the rock, were occasional wild flowers, and the sombre gray stones were lighted by many a patch of delicate verdure, tempted into existence by the warmth of the sun and the protection of the neighboring arched walls. Caught up high in one of the apertures and stretching out its branches to the light was a fig-tree. How strangely it had taken root there, and how odd that it should thus flourish with only the capricious elements to give it care!

We lost our way while wandering through some curious cavernous passages, for the points of exit were irregular and somewhat difficult to discover. When we regained the lower part of the building we crossed to the opposite side and sought