the night-born-第6节

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is　delicate。　It　is　fine。　It　is　rare。〃



〃Not　always；〃　said　Luis　Cervallos。　〃I　have　seen　clumsy

matadors；　and　I　tell　you　it　is　not　nice。〃



He　shuddered；　and　his　face　betrayed　such　what…you…call　disgust；

that　I　knew；　then；　that　the　devil　was　whispering　and　that　he

was　beginning　to　play　a　part。



〃Senor　Harned　may　be　right；〃　said　Luis　Cervallos。　〃It　may　not

be　fair　to　the　bull。　For　is　it　not　known　to　all　of　us　that　for

twenty…four　hours　the　bull　is　given　no　water；　and　that

immediately　before　the　fight　he　is　permitted　to　drink　his

fill？〃



〃And　he　comes　into　the　ring　heavy　with　water？〃　said　John　Harned

quickly；　and　I　saw　that　his　eyes　were　very　gray　and　very　sharp

and　very　cold。



〃It　is　necessary　for　the　sport；〃　said　Luis　Cervallos。　〃Would

you　have　the　bull　so　strong　that　he　would　kill　the　toreadors？〃



〃I　would　that　he　had　a　fighting　chance；〃　said　John　Harned；

facing　the　ring　to　see　the　second　bull　come　in。



It　was　not　a　good　bull。　It　was　frightened。　It　ran　around　the

ring　in　search　of　a　way　to　get　out。　The　capadors　stepped　forth

and　flared　their　capes；　but　he　refused　to　charge　upon　them。



〃It　is　a　stupid　bull；〃　said　Maria　Valenzuela。



〃I　beg　pardon；〃　said　John　Harned；　〃but　it　would　seem　to　me　a

wise　bull。　He　knows　he　must　not　fight　man。　See！　He　smells　death

there　in　the　ring。〃



True。　The　bull；　pausing　where　the　last　one　had　died；　was

smelling　the　wet　sand　and　snorting。　Again　he　ran　around　the

ring；　with　raised　head；　looking　at　the　faces　of　the　thousands

that　hissed　him；　that　threw　orange…peel　at　him　and　called　him

names。　But　the　smell　of　blood　decided　him；　and　he　charged　a

capador；　so　without　warning　that　the　man　just　escaped。　He

dropped　his　cape　and　dodged　into　the　shelter。　The　bull　struck

the　wall　of　the　ring　with　a　crash。　And　John　Harned　said；　in　a

quiet　voice；　as　though　he　talked　to　himself：



〃I　will　give　one　thousand　sucres　to　the　lazar…house　of　Quito　if

a　bull　kills　a　man　this　day。〃



〃You　like　bulls？〃　said　Maria　Valenzuela　with　a　smile。



〃I　like　such　men　less；〃　said　John　Harned。　〃A　toreador　is　not　a

brave　man。　He　surely　cannot　be　a　brave　man。　See；　the　bull's

tongue　is　already　out。　He　is　tired　and　he　has　not　yet　begun。〃



〃It　is　the　water；〃　said　Luis　Cervallos。



〃Yes；　it　is　the　water；〃　said　John　Harned。　〃Would　it　not　be

safer　to　hamstring　the　bull　before　he　comes　on？〃



Maria　Valenzuela　was　made　angry　by　this　sneer　in　John　Harned's

words。　But　Luis　Cervallos　smiled　so　that　only　I　could　see　him；

and　then　it　broke　upon　my　mind　surely　the　game　he　was　playing。

He　and　I　were　to　be　banderilleros。　The　big　American　bull　was

there　in　the　box　with　us。　We　were　to　stick　the　darts　in　him

till　he　became　angry；　and　then　there　might　be　no　marriage　with

Maria　Valenzuela。　It　was　a　good　sport。　And　the　spirit　of

bull…fighters　was　in　our　blood。



The　bull　was　now　angry　and　excited。　The　capadors　had　great　game

with　him。　He　was　very　quick；　and　sometimes　he　turned　with　such

sharpness　that　his　hind　legs　lost　their　footing　and　he　plowed

the　sand　with　his　quarter。　But　he　charged　always　the　flung

capes　and　committed　no　harm。



〃He　has　no　chance；〃　said　John　Harned。　〃He　is　fighting　wind。〃



〃He　thinks　the　cape　is　his　enemy；〃　explained　Maria　Valenzuela。

〃See　how　cleverly　the　capador　deceives　him。〃



〃It　is　his　nature　to　be　deceived；〃　said　John　Harned。　〃Wherefore

he　is　doomed　to　fight　wind。　The　toreadors　know　it；　you　know　it；

I　know　itwe　all　know　from　the　first　that　he　will　fight　wind。

He　only　does　not　know　it。　It　is　his　stupid　beast…nature。　He　has

no　chance。〃



〃It　is　very　simple；〃　said　Luis　Cervallos。　〃The　bull　shuts　his

eyes　when　he　charges。　Therefore〃



〃The　man　steps；　out　of　the　way　and　the　bull　rushes　by；〃　Harned

interrupted。



〃Yes；〃　said　Luis　Cervallos；　〃that　is　it。　The　bull　shuts　his

eyes；　and　the　man　knows　it。〃



〃But　cows　do　not　shut　their　eyes；〃　said　John　Harned。　〃I　know　a

cow　at　home　that　is　a　Jersey　and　gives　milk；　that　would　whip

the　whole　gang　of　them。〃



〃But　the　toreadors　do　not　fight　cows；〃　said　I。



'They　are　afraid　to　fight　cows；〃　said　John　Harned。



〃Yes；〃　said　Luis　Cervallos；　〃they　are　afraid　to　fight　cows。

There　would　be　no　sport　in　killing　toreadors。〃



〃There　would　be　some　sport；〃　said　John　Harned；　〃if　a　toreador

were　killed　once　in　a　while。　When　I　become　an　old　man；　and

mayhap　a　cripple；　and　should　I　need　to　make　a　living　and　be

unable　to　do　hard　work；　then　would　I　become　a　bull…fighter。　It

is　a　light　vocation　for　elderly　gentlemen　and　pensioners。〃



〃But　see！〃　said　Maria　Valenzuela；　as　the　bull　charged　bravely

and　the　capador　eluded　it　with　a　fling　of　his　cape。　〃It

requires　skill　so　to　avoid　the　beast。〃



〃True；〃　said　John　Harned。　〃But　believe　me；　it　requires　a

thousand　times　more　skill　to　avoid　the　many　and　quick　punches

of　a　prize…fighter　who　keeps　his　eyes　open　and　strikes　with

intelligence。　Furthermore；　this　bull　does　not　want　to　fight。

Behold；　he　runs　away。〃



It　was　not　a　good　bull；　for　again　it　ran　around　the　ring；

seeking　to　find　a　way　out。



〃Yet　these　bulls　are　sometimes　the　most　dangerous；〃　said　Luis

Cervallos。　〃It　can　never　be　known　what　they　will　do　next。　They

are　wise。　They　are　half　cow。　The　bull…fighters　never　like

them。See！　He　has　turned！〃



Once　again；　baffled　and　made　angry　by　the　walls　of　the　ring

that　would　not　let　him　out；　the　bull　was　attacking　his　enemies

valiantly。



〃His　tongue　is　hanging　out；〃　said　John　Harned。　〃First；　they

fill　him　with　water。　Then　they　tire　him　out；　one　man　and　then

another；　persuading　him　to　exhaust　himself　by　fighting　wind。

While　some　tire　him；　others　rest。　But　the　bull　they　never　let

rest。　Afterward；　when　he　is　quite　tired　and　no　longer　quick；

the　matador　sticks　the　sword　into　him。〃



The　time　had　now　come　for　the　banderillos。　Three　times　one　of

the　fighters　endeavored　to　place　the　darts；　and　three　times　did

he　fail。　He　but　stung　the　bull　and　maddened　it。　The　banderillos

must　go　in；　you　know；　two　at　a　time；　into　the　shoulders；　on

each　side　the　backbone　and　close　to　it。　If　but　one　be　placed；

it　is　a　failure。　The　crowd　hissed　and　called　for　Ordonez。　And

then　Ordonez　did　a　great　thing。　Four　times　he　stood　forth；　and

four　times；　at　the　first　attempt；　he　stuck　in　the　banderillos；

so　that　eight　of　them；　well　placed；　stood　out　of　the　back　of

the　bull　at　one　time。　The　crowd　went　mad；　and　a　rain　of　hats

and　money　fell　on　the　sand　of　the　ring



And　just　then　the　bull　charged　unexpectedly　one　of　the

capadors。　The　man　slipped　and　lost　his　head。　The　bull　caught

himfortunately；　between　his　wide　horns。　And　while　the

audience　watched；　breathless　and　silent；　John　Harned　stood　up

and　yelled　with　gladness。　Alone；　in　that　hush　of　all　of　us；

John　Harned　yelled。　And　he　yelled　for　the　bull。　As　you　see

yourself；　John　Harned　wanted　the　man　killed。　His　was　a　brutal

heart。　This　bad　conduct　made　those　angry　that　sat　in　the　box　of

General　Salazar；　and　they　cried　out　against　John　Harned。　And

Urcisino　Castillo　told　him　to　his　face　that　he　was　a　dog　of　a

Gringo　and　other　things。　Only　it　was　in　Spanish；　and　John

Harned　did　not　understand。　He　stood　and　yelled；　perhaps　for　the

time　of　ten　seconds；　when　the　bull　was　enticed　into　charging

the　other　capadors　and　the　man　arose　unhurt。



〃The　bull　has　no　chance；〃　John　Harned　said　with　sadness　as　he

sat　down。　〃The　man　was　uninjured。　They　fooled　the　bull　away

from　him。〃　Then　he　turned　to　Maria　Valenzuela　and　said：　〃I　beg

your　pardon。　I　was　excited。〃



She　smiled　and　in　reproof　tapped　his　arm　with　her　fan。



〃It　is　your　first　bull…fight；〃　she　said。　〃After　you　have　seen

more　you　will　not　cry　for　the　death　of　the　man。　You　Americans；

you　see；　are　more　brutal　than　we。　It　is　because　of　your

prize…fighting。　We　come　only　to　see　the　bull　killed。〃



〃But　I　would　the　bull　had　some　chance；〃　he　answered。

〃Doubtless；　in　time；　I　shall　cease　to　be　annoyed　by　the　men　who

take　advantage　of　the　bull。〃



The　bugles　blew　for　the　death　of　the　bull。　Ordonez　stood　forth

with　the　sword　and　the　scarlet　cloth。　But　the　bull　had　changed

again；　and　did　not　want　to　fight。　Ordonez　stamped　his　foot　in

the　sand；　and　cried　out；　and　waved　the　scarlet　cloth。　Then　the

bull　charged；　but　without　heart。　There　was　no　weight　to　the

charge。　It　was　a　poor　thrust。　The　sword　struck　a　bone　and　bent。

Ordonez　took　a　fresh　sword。　The　bull；　again　stung　to　fight；

charged　once　more。　Five　times　Ordonez　essayed　the　thrust；　and

each　time　the　sword　went　but　part　way　in　or　struck　bone。　The

sixth　time；　the　sword　went　in　to　the　hilt。　But　it　was　a　bad

thrust。　The　sword　missed　the　heart　and　stuck　out　half　a　yard

through　the　ribs　on　the　opposite　side。　The　audience　hissed　the

matador。　I　glanced　at　John　Harned。　He　sat　silent；　without

movement；　but　I　could　see　his　teeth　were　set；　and　his　hands

were　clenched　tight　on　the　railing　of　the　box。



All　fight　was　now　out　of　the　bull；　and；　though　it　was