On the bright Sabbath morning Toney Belton and his companions were
following an immense crowd of people along the banks of the Rimac, in
the direction of the bull-fight, when they were compelled to halt and
listen to a polemical controversy between the Professor and M. T. Pate.
The latter had followed along quietly, and without observation, until
accidentally discovering their destination, he stood still and refused
to proceed. In vain did the Professor try argument and blandishment to
remove his scruples of conscience. On the first day of the week Pate was
immovably pious.
"Come along, Mr. Pate!" said the Professor, in a coaxing tone.
"This is the Sabbath," said Pate, "and a day of rest."
"But," said the Professor, "in this country the churches are always
open, and the people are praying every day in the week, and the only way
for them to rest is to stop praying on Sunday and do something else.
When you are in Rome do as Rome does."
"Everybody is going to the bull-fight," said Toney.
"Yonder is a carriage-load of bishops," said the Professor.
"And look at those two shovel-hats jogging along on their mules," said
Tom Seddon.
"This is Sunday," said Pate, solemnly shaking his head.
"I have been informed by the oldest inhabitant that Sunday has never yet
got around Cape Horn," said the Professor.
But Pate was deaf to their sophistical arguments, and, shaking his head
with a melancholy look, turned on his heels and took his departure.
The Professor and his companions were soon seated in the amphitheater,
which formed an immense circle, with seats rising in tiers, one above
the other. A strong barricade of stout timbers protected the twenty
thousand men, women, and children who, with the Priests, the President,
and the Congress of the country were here assembled, and waited with
impatience until a gate was opened and several of the combatants
appeared, some on horseback armed with long lances, and others on foot.
"Great thunder! what are those?" exclaimed Tom Seddon, pointing to four
uncouth shapes stalking into the arena wearing ugly masks with enormous
beaks, and having dusky wings ingeniously fitted to their sides.
"They look like very large turkey-buzzards," said Toney.
"Half men and half birds," said Moses.
"They are Peruvian fairies," said the Professor, turning round and
imparting this information to Moses.
"Fairies!" exclaimed Moses, his eyes opening in astonishment.
"A gigantic species of fairy peculiar to this country," said the
Professor.
"What are they going to do?" asked Moses.
"They are exceedingly fond of bull-beef," said the Professor. "They will
wait until the animal is slain, and then dine on the carcass."
"After which," said Toney, "they will spread their wings and fly away to
Fairy-land, supposed to be located somewhere among the peaks of the
Andes."
"And which was never visited by mortal man," said the Professor.
Moses now gazed at the fairies with wonder and awe; while Tom Seddon
exclaimed, "Look at that handsome woman standing in the center of the
arena!"
"She is splendidly dressed," said Toney.
"Who is she?" asked Moses.
"The President's wife," suggested Toney.
"Is she going to fight the bull?" asked Moses.
"That may be her intention," said Toney.
"She has no weapon," said Wiggins.
"She will take the bull by the horns," said Toney.
"She is in great danger," said Moses.
"It is the Blessed Virgin,--you may behold a miracle," said the
Professor.
"Is she alive?" asked Moses.
"She does not move," said Wiggins.
"She stands stoutly on her feet," said Toney.
"Look yonder!" exclaimed Tom Seddon, as a gate flew open, and in came,
with a bound and a bellow, a huge black bull, with his eyes fiercely
glaring, as if he were smarting under some recent insult and expected
other indignities to be offered. But beholding the image, he moved
towards it, bowing his head and scraping his foot.
"He seems disposed to be very polite in the presence of a lady," said
Toney.
"He is making a very profound obeisance," said Tom.
"Only in mockery," said the Professor as the bull rushed forward, and,
thrusting his horns through the robes of the Holy Mary, lifted her from
the earth. But hardly had he touched her sacred person when a succession
of loud reports ensued, such as are heard when idle urchins have
fastened their fire-works behind the flanks of some venerable parent of
puppies.
"A miracle!" exclaimed the Professor.
"A miracle!" cried Toney.
"A miracle!" shouted Tom.
The eyes of Moses widely dilated, and he gazed in intense wonder. Off
went the bull with the image hanging on his horns, roaring and running
around; while ever and anon the Blessed Virgin would emit an explosion
which added an increase to his speed. Finally she fell to the ground,
and was sacrilegiously trampled under hoof, and lay with her gaudy robes
scorched, and smoking, and torn to tatters.
"What a shocking sight!" exclaimed Tom Seddon.
"Will nobody go to her rescue?" said Toney.
"Yonder comes her avenger!" said the Professor, as a man on foot
advanced, with one hand brandishing a dart having a small streamer
attached to it, and shaking a red flag with the other. The bull,
indignant at the insult, came at him with a bound, when, nimbly leaping
aside, he planted his missile in the flank of his foe, and the
infuriated animal charged on another assailant with similar results.
Soon his sides were covered with little javelins, each having a gaudy
pennon on its end waving in the wind. He fought with pluck and
determination, but evidently at a disadvantage; for his antagonists,
when hard pressed, would retreat behind a circular palisade of posts,
whither he could not follow them. Making a charge on one of the
buzzards, however, he tore off a wing before the clumsy bird could get
out of the way. The disgusting fowl uttered a loud squall, such as was
never heard from one of its species before.
"The poor fairy has lost one of his pinions," said Tom.
"He will not be able to soar away to his home in the Andes after he has
dined," said Toney.
"The cavalry are about to take part in the engagement," said the
Professor, as the horsemen galloped around and added to the torments of
the animal by pricking him with their lances.
"He fights _manfully_," said Tom.
"Mr. Seddon," said the Professor, "be so good as to keep your Irish
bulls in the background. You should not venture to introduce them among
Spanish cattle."
"He exhibits great courage against overwhelming odds," said Toney.
"But, as has been asked on numerous occasions, what can a single hero do
against a host?" said the Professor.
"What is that big man going to do with his long knife?" asked Moses, as
a stalwart fellow, armed with a short, straight sword, advanced on foot
and fixed his gaze on his victim. With eyes wildly rolling, and red
torrents of blood streaming from his wounds, the bull moved towards this
new antagonist, with his head to the ground, hoping to toss him on his
horns. But the wily matadore, with a dexterous thrust, pierced the spine
of the neck, and the agonies of the animal were over. Hardly had he
fallen when the four buzzards rushed forward and commenced pecking at
the carcass.
"The fairies are hungry," said the Professor, turning round and speaking
to Moses.
"The one-winged gentleman seems determined to have his share of the
feast," said Toney.
"Look! look!" cried Tom Seddon, as up went a rocket and in came six
white horses splendidly harnessed, by whose united strength the
mutilated body of the bull was dragged out at a gallop, to make room for
another victim.
"Look at yonder fellow riding his horse around the arena, with his side
gored open and torrents of blood gushing from the ghastly wound!" said
Toney.
"This is pretty sport, but I think that I will put an end to it," said
the Professor to Toney, in a low and confidential tone.
"That is impossible," said Toney.
"The celebrated Arago says that he who, outside of pure mathematics,
uses the word impossible, lacks prudence," said the Professor.
"Here he comes!" cried Tom Seddon, as a bull of prodigious size and
savage ferocity bounded into the arena, and after moving around and
wildly glaring at the assembled multitude, finally halted within a few
paces of the seats occupied by Toney and the Professor. The enraged
animal was pawing the earth with his foot, when one of the combatants
advanced towards him, brandishing a dart. The bull elevated his head and
surveyed him with an indignant look. The man poised his missile and was
about to hurl it when, in the Castilian language, from the mouth of the
angry animal come forth the words,--
"Hold, villain! hold!"
The man dropped his dart and instantly fled. On the seats in proximity
to the Professor there were great commotion and alarm, while from those
afar off there were loud cries of derision at the cowardice exhibited by
the combatant who had fled. Several men now advanced on foot, and the
horsemen followed, with the four buzzards in the rear, flapping their
wings. They surrounded the bull, and each footman brandished his dart,
while the horsemen poised their lances. The animal regarded them with a
ferocious aspect, and, as they were about to attack him with their
weapons, a hoarse voice was heard issuing from his throat, and
exclaiming,--
"Stand back! ye bloody villains, forbear!"
The men recoiled in horror, and, dropping their weapons, fled with
precipitation, exclaiming, "El diablo! el diablo!"
The buzzards hurried over the barricades followed by the footmen, who
threw themselves among the spectators, crying out, "El diablo! el
diablo!--it is the devil! it is the devil!" The horsemen galloped
frantically around, and finally fled through a gate, which was instantly
closed and barred. "El diablo! el diablo!" was shouted by hundreds of
voices.
"It is Satan! it is Satan!" exclaimed several priests, who sat near the
Professor, as the bull, after running around, stood still and glared at
them with fiery eyes.
"I am Beelzebub!" roared the bull.
With loud cries of "Satan!" "Beelzebub!" "the devil!" the priests and
the people leaped from their seats, and, tumbling over each other,
rolled out of the amphitheater into the open air. Along the banks of the
Rimac, men, women, and children were flying in terror, with loud cries
of "El diablo! el diablo!"
"Where is Moses?" asked the Professor, as with Toney and Tom he sat in
the deserted amphitheater.
"He and Wiggins have gone with the crowd," said Toney.
"The bull will have to perform before empty benches," said the
Professor.
"That animal has created more commotion than any of the Pope's bulls in
the Dark Ages," said Toney.
"He is equal to Apis, the sacred bull of the Egyptians," said the
Professor, as they arose from their seats and left the amphitheater.