CAMARGUE, COWBOY COUNTRY OF SOUTHERN FRANCE 



20 



The abrivado brings in sufficient bulls 

 during the morning. The real sport takes 

 place in the afternoon. 



the: object of the contestants is to 

 snatch the cockade 



In a narrow stall, before the contest, a 

 gardian attaches to the forelock of the 

 beast a colored cockade poised between 

 his deadly horns. It is this piece of rib- 

 bon that amateurs and professional gar- 

 dians will endeavor to snatch off with the 

 bare hands or with a steel hook shaped 

 like a comb. 



Each captured cockade brings with it 

 a premium, a sum of money varying from 

 a few francs to several hundred. 



The arena is crowded with people; 

 the spectators shout to one another, and 

 in the heat of the afternoon the venders 

 of oranges and refreshing drinks circu- 

 late among the people. 



In the ring the cockade hunters wait, 

 their eyes fixed on the gate of the toril. 

 At a bugle call, it opens suddenly, allow- 

 ing a black bull, blinded by the light, to 

 enter. The bugle sounds a second time 

 and the crier announces the prize which 

 each cockade represents. Then the sport 

 commences. 



It is by the razet that the agile young 

 man will endeavor to secure the cockade. 

 This is a feint executed in front of the 

 animal, on the flank, or behind him. 

 Those employing this method are called 

 rasetaires. 



While the attention of the bull is else- 

 where directed, the rasetaire advances in 

 a wide circle. When a few yards from 

 the animal, he attracts the animal's at- 

 tention by shouting, and while the beast 

 charges him, the man quickly thrusts his 

 hand between the horns, endeavoring to 

 detach the cockade with a quick upward 

 motion. Then the man, successful or not, 

 and followed by the bull, rushes to the 

 barricade. 



In order to execute this feint, one must 

 have a sure eye, quick decision, and great 

 agility. The slightest fault or hesitation 

 may bring a wound to the rasetaire, some 

 of whom are tossed on the horns of the 

 bulls during these encounters. 



The premiums attached to the cockades 

 vary according to the qualities and sav- 

 agery of the fighting bulls who are de- 

 fending the ribbons. 



These cocardiers should be valiant bulls, 

 full of speed and tenacious in their pur- 

 suit of their adversary. They are espe- 

 cially trained for this purpose. 



When a bull has finished its fight the 

 leader-bull is sent into the ring to conduct 

 it off to the stable. 



Sometimes, to increase the excitement 

 of the bull-fight, gardians arrange Vesper- 

 age, which consists of resisting with a 

 trident the mad onslaught of a bull. 

 Walking shoulder to shoulder, their tri- 

 dents held firmly before them, two gar- 

 dians advance across the arena. When 

 the bull charges they must resist his as- 

 sault unflinchingly by goading the beast 

 on the muzzle. 



Now the bull-fight is over and the bulls 

 are waiting in the dark toril, some with 

 the cockade intact between their danger- 

 ous horns. 



The gardians are already mounted. 

 Quickly the gate of the toril is opened. 

 With rattling horns, the bulls bound be- 

 hind the riders, while the people shout 

 and yell. Spurring their steeds into a 

 run, the gardians direct the mad rush of 

 the beasts. 



Now the village is far away, and the 

 shouts and yells of the holiday crowds die 

 away in the distance. In the darkness 

 of advancing night the white steeds of 

 the gardians have no need to direct the 

 now quiet beasts to their grazing place. 

 The last cultivated fields have been passed, 

 and beyond the line of the silver-leafed 

 willows, behind the mirror of a marsh, 

 the herd is at home once more. 



COW EIGHTS AT NIGHT EOEEOW THE DAY'S 

 SPORT 



Every day during the festival period it 

 is the same. The herdsmen are on horse- 

 back a great part of the day to select and 

 assemble and bring back the fighting 

 cattle. In Languedoc, for instance, some 

 villages have ten bull-fights on the festi- 

 val of the local patron saint, and often 

 people organize nightly fights with cows, 

 which are very funny and not so dan- 

 gerous. 



"Bulls, bulls ! Here come the bulls !" 

 Magic words, which make the Pro- 

 vencal people come running. Bull-fight 

 and horse-play constitute the favorite 

 games of the little boy when released 

 from the school-room. 



