Page:The Burton Holmes lectures; (IA burtonholmeslect04holm).pdf/337

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triumphant tour around the ring. The flowers and cigars he keeps, the hats he gathers up and tosses back skilfully to their enthusiastic owners. No American hats were thrown.

BOABDIL AND THE "CATHOLIC KINGS"

While cheers and music fill the air, the corpses of the slaughtered horses are dragged out of the arena by teams of mules. Then comes the turn of the chief victim of the game. At a gallop he is dragged around the ring, finally making a pitiable exit. We can scarcely believe that the stiffened carcass is that of the superb bull, who made so proud and defiant an entry not twenty minutes since.

The surface of the arena is now raked over here and there. A wheelbarrow of sand is sprinkled on the bloody places, the trumpet sounds, the picadores again appear, the toril door is once more opened, and the drama is begun afresh. Six times between the hours of four and six is the play repeated. Six bulls are killed; and if you wish to know