we have had some unusual excitement lately—a bull and tiger fight. the day following, the description came out in a morning paper:
"a fight between a tiagua bull and a bengal tiger in the bull ring this afternoon was most ferocious, and will result in the death of both animals. the sickening spectacle was witnessed by 5,500 people, largely americans, and many of them tourists, who stopped over here especially to witness the barbaric spectacle. after three bulls had been despatched in the regulation manner, the star performance was pulled off. the two animals, enclosed in an iron cage, about thirty feet square, were brought together, and the battle between the enraged brutes commenced. the bull was first taken into the enclosure and given the usual bull fight tortures to arouse his ire, and then the iron cage containing the tiger was wheeled up to the entrance; but the tiger refused to get out and open the battle, and the bull attempted to get into the small cage and get at his adversary. the bull was badly scratched about the face. finally the tiger came from his cage, and the bull gored the cat with a long, sharp horn as he emerged. with a screech of pain, the cat, with a powerful lunge, broke the bull's right leg, and then the two animals went into the fight for their lives. the tiger was able to spring out of the way of the bull in a number of instances, but when the big, heavy animal caught his adversary it went hard with the tiger. the bull stepped upon the tiger in one instance and there was a crunching of ribs audible in the seats of the amphitheatre.
"the bull disabled the tiger in the back, and after that the fighting was tame, and the americans cried for pity, while the mexicans cheered and wanted the performance to continue."
mrs. delancy, and aunt gwendolin, along with uncle theodore and count de pensier, attended the fight. grandmother would not go, and i stayed with her.
"a christian lady going to a bull fight," i said to grandmother under my breath.
"yes, my dear," returned grandmother looking really pale, "it shocks me quite as much as you. it was not so when i was young. american women of the present day must see everything. it is deplorable!"
when the scene was the most harrowing, and the americans were calling for the fight to be stopped, aunt gwendolin, and i believe several other american women, fainted, and had to be carried out.
"dear me, dear me," said grandmother again, when she heard the harrowing details. "that is just the way with americans of the present day; they must see everything. it was not so when i was young."
who should walk into our presence at that very moment but professor ballington. he had heard grandmother's remark, without knowing the cause for her words, and as he was shaking hands with us he said:
"you believe the poet watson diagnosed uncle sam's case when he said:
"'but when fate
was at thy making, and endowed thy soul
with many gifts and costly, she forgot
to mix with those a genius for repose;
and therefore a sting is ever in thy blood,
and in thy marrow a sublime unrest.'"
"it was not so when i was young," said grandmother. "how can we lay the shortcoming at the door of fate?"
"chinese women would never attend a bull and tiger fight, grandmother," i whispered into her ear when the professor was looking the other way, "nor chinese gentlemen."
"i hope not, my dear," is all the reply dear grandmother made.
professor ballington only stayed with us a day or two; he was just on a tour, he said, and had to cover a certain amount of space within a certain period of time. grandmother and i were very desirous that he should remain longer; but i really believe aunt gwendolin felt relieved when he was gone. she did not appear to feel comfortable with his comprehending eyes upon her when she was entertaining count de pensier.
