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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

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