202 The White-Shouldered Eagle 
bulls, which alone were troublesome. Nowadays bulls destined 
for the Plaza are no longer herded in this district and their place 
has been taken by more peaceful animals politely described as 
being mansos, “mild-mannered” or “gentle,” in contradistinction 
to their more formidable relatives who are known as 6éravos, 
wild or savage. But I am forced to say that this term is but 
a relative one, and from an intimate knowledge, at times far too 
intimate, of the ways and customs of Spanish bulls in the more 
remote parts of Spain, | would strongly recommend any wandering 
Englishman to give any he may meet a wide berth. Living as | 
do so much among these animals, | naturally enough have learnt 
how to carry on my own pursuits without annoying them. But it 
may be taken as an axiom that it is better not to approach any 
bull, no matter how “mild-mannered” he may be, if on foot. 
There is something in an Englishman’s dress and voice which 
irritates the Spanish cattle; this, added to the peculiarly English 
habit of stopping and pointing a finger at an object of interest is 
calculated to upset the equanimity of the “mildest” bull. A fine 
seven-year-old bull, an old friend and neighbour of mine, who 
endured all such familiarities, and was reputed to be absolutely 
manso, was however unable to submit to the impertinence of being 
snapshotted at 25 ft. Luckily there was a wall hard by! 
But I must return to my tree, where I left myself clinging. On 
descending from my uncomfortable perch I went to pick up my 
gun, but it was gone! I could scarcely believe my eyes for less 
than a minute before I had seen it peacefully resting against the 
bush. Since it was clear that neither the bull nor the man had 
carried it off, | surmised that somehow or other it must have fallen 
into the stream hard by. There was a deep pool close to the bole 
of the tree and so, wading into this, nigh waist-deep and feeling 
with my feet, I eventually trod on something hard which proved 
to be the gun, It was evident that the bull as it rushed past me, 
