TAUROMACHIA, THE FIGHTING BULL OF SPAIN. 65 



daughter, Princess Elena, each overthrew a sturdy two- 

 }ear-old ; the Infanta Eulaha riding " a ancas,'' or piUion- 

 fashion, with an Andahician nobleman, among the merriest 

 of a merry part}'. 



At length, however, the years spent in luxurious idleness 

 on the silent plains must come to an end. One summer 

 morning the brave herd find grazing in their midst some 

 strange animals, which appear to make themselves ex- 

 tremely agreeable to the lordly champions, now in the 

 zenith of magnificent strength and beauty. The strangers 

 grazing with them are the cahrestos (or cahestros, in correct 

 Castilian), the decoy-oxen sent out to fraternize for a 

 few days with the fighting race, preparatory to the mcicrro, 

 or operation of conveying the latter to the town where the 

 corrida takes place. Each cahestru has a large cattle-bell, of 

 the usual Spanish type, suspended round its neck, in order 

 to accustom the wild herd to follow the lead of these base 

 betrayers of the brave. Shortly the noble bulls will be 

 lured in their company away from their native plains, 

 through country paths and byeways, to the entrance of the 

 fatal toril. 



An animated spectacle it is on the eve of the corrida, 

 when, amidst clouds of dust and clang of bells, the tame 

 oxen and wild bulls are driven forward bj^ galloping 

 horsemen and levelled garrorhas. The excited populace, 

 already intoxicated with bull-fever and the anticipation of 

 the coming corridas, lining the way to the Plaza, careless 

 if in the enthusiasm for the morrow they risk some 

 awkward rips to-day. 



Once inside the lofty walls of the toril, it is easy to 

 withdraw the treacherous cahestros, and one by one to 

 tempt the Imlls each into a small separate cell, the chiquero, 

 the door of which will to-morrow fall before his eyes. 

 Then, rushing upon the arena, he finds himself confronted 

 and encircled by surging tiers of yelling humanity, while 

 the crash of trumpets and glare of moving colours madden 

 his brain. Then the gaudy horsemen, with menacing 

 lances, recall his day of trial on the distant plain, horse- 

 men now doubly hateful in their brilliant glittering tinsel. 



F 



