It all came about because Maria Valenzuela said:
"You English people are--what shall I say?--savage--no? You

prize-fight. Two men each hit the other with their fists till
their eyes are blinded and their noses are broken. Hideous! And

the other men who look on cry out loudly and are made glad. It
is barbarous--no?"

"But they are men," said John Harned; "and they prize-fight out
of desire. No one makes them prize-fight. They do it because

they desire it more than anything else in the world."
Maria Valenzuela--there was scorn in her smile as she said:

"They kill each other often--is it not so? I have read it in
the papers."

"But the bull," said John Harned.
"The bull is killed many times in the bull-fight, and the bull

does not come into the the ring out of desire. It is not fair
to the bull. He is compelled to fight. But the man in the

prize-fight--no; he is not compelled."
"He is the more brute therefore," said Maria Valenzuela.

"He is savage. He is primitive. He is animal. He strikes with
his paws like a bear from a cave, and he is ferocious. But the

bull-fight--ah! You have not seen the bullfight--no? The
toreador is clever. He must have skill. He is modern. He is

romantic. He is only a man, soft and tender, and he faces the
wild bull in conflict. And he kills with a sword, a slender

sword, with one thrust, so, to the heart of the great beast. It
is delicious. It makes the heart beat to behold--the small man,

the great beast, the wide level sand, the thousands that look
on without breath; the great beast rushes to the attack, the

small man stands like a statue; he does not move, he is
unafraid, and in his hand is the slender sword flashing like

silver in the sun; nearer and nearer rushes the great beast
with its sharp horns, the man does not move, and then--so--the

sword flashes, the thrust is made, to the heart, to the hilt,
the bull falls to the sand and is dead, and the man is unhurt.

It is brave. It is magnificent! Ah!--I could love the toreador.
But the man of the prize-fight--he is the brute, the human

beast, the savageprimitive, the maniac that receives many
blows in his stupid face and rejoices. Come to Quito and I will

show you the brave sport of men, the toreador and the bull."
But John Harned did not go to Quito for the bull-fight. He went

because of Maria Valenzuela. He was a large man, more broad of
shoulder than we Ecuadorianos, more tall, more heavy of limb

and bone. True, he was larger of his own race. His eyes were
blue, though I have seen them gray, and, sometimes, like cold

steel. His features were large, too--not delicate like ours,
and his jaw was very strong to look at. Also, his face was

smooth-shaven like a priest's. Why should a man feel shame for
the hair on his face? Did not God put it there? Yes, I believe

in God--I am not a pagan like many of you English. God is good.
He made me an Ecuadoriano with ten thousand slaves. And when I

die I shall go to God. Yes, the priests are right.
But John Harned. He was a quiet man. He talked always in a low

voice, and he never moved his hands when he talked. One would
have thought his heart was a piece of ice; yet did he have a

streak of warm in his blood, for he followed Maria Valenzuela
to Quito. Also, and for all that he talked low without moving

his hands, he was an animal, as you shall see--the beast
primitive, the stupid, ferocioussavage of the long ago that

dressed in wild skins and lived in the caves along with the
bears and wolves.

Luis Cervallos is my friend, the best of Ecuadorianos. He owns
three cacao plantations at Naranjito and Chobo. At Milagro is

his big sugar plantation. He has large haciendas at Ambato and
Latacunga, and down the coast is he interested in oil-wells.

Also has he spent much money in planting rubber along the
Guayas. He is modern, like the Yankee; and, like the Yankee,

full of business. He has much money, but it is in many
ventures, and ever he needs more money for new ventures and for

the old ones. He has been everywhere and seen everything. When
he was a very young man he was in the Yankee military academy

what you call West Point. There was trouble. He was made to
resign. He does not like Americans. But he did like Maria

Valenzuela, who was of his own country. Also, he needed her
money for his ventures and for his gold mine in Eastern Ecuador

where the painted Indians live. I was his friend. It was my
desire that he should marry Maria Valenzuela. Further, much of

my money had I invested in his ventures, more so in his gold
mine which was very rich but which first required the expense

of much money before it would yield forth its riches. If Luis
Cervallos married Maria Valenzuela I should have more money

very immediately.
But John Harned followed Maria Valenzuela to Quito, and it was

quickly clear to us--to Luis Cervallos and me that she looked
upon John Harned with great kindness. It is said that a woman

will have her will, but this is a case not in point, for Maria
Valenzuela did not have her will--at least not with John

Harned. Perhaps it would all have happened as it did, even if
Luis Cervallos and I had not sat in the box that day at the

bull-ring in Quito. But this I know: we DID sit in the box that
day. And I shall tell you what happened.

The four of us were in the one box, guests of Luis Cervallos. I
was next to the Presidente's box. On the other side was the box

of General Jose Eliceo Salazar. With him were Joaquiin Endara
and Urcisino Castillo, both generals, and Colonel Jacinto

Fierro and Captain Baltazar de Echeverria. Only Luis Cervallos
had the position and the influence to get that box next to the

Presidente. I know for a fact that the Presidente himself
expressed the desire to the management that Luis Cervallos

should have that box.
The band finished playing the national hymn of Ecuador. The

procession of the toreadors was over. The Presidente nodded to
begin. The bugles blew, and the bull dashed in--you know the

way, excited, bewildered, the darts in its shoulder burning
like fire, itself seeking madly whatever enemy to destroy. The

toreadors hid behind their shelters and waited. Suddenly they
appeared forth, the capadores, five of them, from every side,

their colored capes flinging wide. The bull paused at sight of
such a generosity of enemies, unable in his own mind to know

which to attack. Then advanced one of the capadors alone to
meet the bull. The bull was very angry. With its fore-legs it

pawed the sand of the arena till the dust rose all about it.
Then it charged, with lowered head, straight for the lone

capador.
It is always of interest, the first charge of the first bull.

After a time it is natural that one should grow tired, trifle,
that the keenness should lose its edge. But that first charge

of the first bull! John Harned was seeing it for the first
time, and he could not escape the excitement--the sight of the

man, armed only with a piece of cloth, and of the bull rushing
upon him across the sand with sharp horns, widespreading.

"See!" cried Maria Valenzuela. "Is it not superb?"
John Harned nodded, but did not look at her. His eyes were

sparkling, and they were only for the bull-ring. The capador
stepped to the side, with a twirl of the cape eluding the bull

and spreading the cape on his own shoulders.
"What do you think?" asked Maria Venzuela. "Is it not

a--what-you-call--sporting proposition--no?"
"It is certainly," said John Harned. "It is very clever."

She clapped her hands with delight. They were little hands. The
audience applauded. The bull turned and came back. Again the

capadore eluded him, throwing the cape on his shoulders, and
again the audience applauded. Three times did this happen. The

capadore was very excellent. Then he retired, and the other
capadore played with the bull. After that they placed the

banderillos in the bull, in the shoulders, on each side of the
back-bone, two at a time. Then stepped forward Ordonez, the

chief matador, with the long sword and the scarlet cape. The
bugles blew for the death. He is not so good as Matestini.

Still he is good, and with one thrust he drove the sword to the
heart, and the bull doubled his legs under him and lay down and

died. It was a pretty thrust, clean and sure; and there was
much applause, and many of the common people threw their hats

into the ring. Maria Valenzuela clapped her hands with the
rest, and John Harned, whose cold heart was not touched by the

event, looked at her with curiosity.
"You like it?" he asked.

"Always," she said, still clapping her hands.
"From a little girl," said Luis Cervallos. "I remember her

first fight. She was four years old. She sat with her mother,
and just like now she clapped her hands. She is a proper

Spanish woman.
"You have seen it," said Maria Valenzuela to John Harned, as

they fastened the mules to the dead bull and dragged it out.
"You have seen the bull-fight and you like it--no? What do you

think?
"I think the bull had no chance," he said. "The bull was doomed

from the first. The issue was not in doubt. Every one knew,
before the bull entered the ring, that it was to die. To be a

sporting proposition, the issue must be in doubt. It was one
stupid bull who had never fought a man against five wise men

who had fought many bulls. It would be possibly a little bit
fair if it were one man against one bull."

"Or one man against five bulls," said Maria Valenzuela; and we
all laughed, and Luis Ceryallos laughed loudest.

"Yes," said John Harned, "against five bulls, and the man, like
the bulls, never in the bull ring before--a man like yourself,

Senor Crevallos."
"Yet we Spanish like the bull-fight," said Luis Cervallos; and

I swear the devil was whispering then in his ear, telling him
to do that which I shall relate.

"Then must it be a cultivated taste," John Harned made answer.
"We kill bulls by the thousand every day in Chicago, yet no one

cares to pay admittance to see."
"That is butchery," said I; "but this--ah, this is an art. It

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

• savage [´sævidʒ] a.野蛮的 n.蛮人 (初中英语单词)
• primitive [´primitiv] a.原始的 n.原始人 (初中英语单词)
• conflict [´kɔnflikt, kən´flikt] n.&vi.战斗；抵触 (初中英语单词)
• thrust [θrʌst] v.&n.猛推；冲；刺；挤进 (初中英语单词)
• delicious [di´liʃəs] a.美味的，可口的 (初中英语单词)
• breath [breθ] n.呼吸；气息 (初中英语单词)
• statue [´stætʃu:] n.塑像，雕像 (初中英语单词)
• slender [´slendə] a.细长的；微薄的 (初中英语单词)
• stupid [´stju:pid] a.愚蠢的；糊涂的 (初中英语单词)
• delicate [´delikət] a.精美的；微妙的 (初中英语单词)
• rubber [´rʌbə] n.(摩)擦的人；橡皮 (初中英语单词)
• yankee [´jæŋki] n.美国佬；美国公民 (初中英语单词)
• riches [´ritʃiz] n.房地产；丰富 (初中英语单词)
• management [´mænidʒmənt] n.管理；处理；经营 (初中英语单词)
• whatever [wɔt´evə] pron.&a.无论什么 (初中英语单词)
• unable [ʌn´eibəl] a.不能的；无能为力的 (初中英语单词)
• advanced [əd´vɑ:nst] a.先进的；高级的 (初中英语单词)
• charge [tʃɑ:dʒ] v.收费；冲锋 n.费用 (初中英语单词)
• audience [´ɔ:diəns] n.听众；观众；接见 (初中英语单词)
• scarlet [´skɑ:lit] n.猩红色 a.猩红的 (初中英语单词)
• beginning [bi´giniŋ] n.开始，开端；起源 (初中英语单词)
• plantation [plæn´teiʃən] n.种植园；栽植；移民 (高中英语单词)
• colonel [´kə:nəl] n.海(陆)军上校 (高中英语单词)
• generosity [,dʒenə´rɔsiti] n.慷慨；慷慨的行为 (高中英语单词)
• seeing [si:iŋ] see的现在分词 n.视觉 (高中英语单词)
• applause [ə´plɔ:z] n.鼓掌；欢呼；称赞 (高中英语单词)
• proposition [,prɔpə´ziʃən] n.提议；主张；陈述 (高中英语单词)
• chicago [ʃi´kɑ:gəu] n.芝加哥 (英语四级单词)
• ferocious [fə´rəuʃəs] a.凶猛的；残忍的 (英语六级单词)
• retired [ri´taiəd] a.退休的；通职的 (英语六级单词)
• cultivated [´kʌltiveitid] a.在耕作的；有教养的 (英语六级单词)