Nextmorningwewereawakenedbyagreatracket. Therewasaprocessioncomingdownthestreet,anumberofmeninverygayclothesfollowedbyalargecrowdofadmiringladiesandcheeringchildren.IaskedtheDoctorwhotheywere. "Theyarethebullfighters,"hesaid."Thereistobeabullfightto-morrow." "Whatisabullfight?"Iasked. TomygreatsurprisetheDoctorgotredinthefacewithanger.Itremindedmeofthetimewhenhehadspokenofthelionsandtigersinhisprivatezoo. "Abullfightisastupid,cruel,disgustingbusiness,"saidhe. "TheseSpanishpeoplearemostlovableandhospitablefolk. HowtheycanenjoythesewretchedbullfightsisathingIcouldneverunderstand." ThentheDoctorwentontoexplaintomehowabullwasfirstmadeveryangrybyteasingandthenallowedtorunintoacircuswheremencameoutwithredcloaks,wavedthemathim,andranaway. Nextthebullwasallowedtotirehimselfoutbytossingandkillingalotofpoor,old,broken-downhorseswhocouldn'tdefendthemselves. Then,whenthebullwasthoroughlyoutofbreathandweariedbythis,amancameoutwithaswordandkilledthebull. "EverySunday,"saidtheDoctor,"inalmosteverybigtowninSpaintherearesixbullskilledlikethatandasmanyhorses." "Butaren'tthemeneverkilledbythebull?"Iasked. "Unfortunatelyveryseldom,"saidhe."Abullisnotnearlyasdangerousashelooks,evenwhenhe'sangry,ifyouareonlyquickonyourfeetanddon'tloseyourhead. Thesebullfightersareverycleverandnimble. Andthepeople,especiallytheSpanishladies,thinknoendofthem. Afamousbullfighter(ormatador,astheycallthem)isamoreimportantmaninSpainthanaking—Herecomesanothercrowdofthemroundthecorner,look.Seethegirlsthrowingkissestothem.Ridiculousbusiness!" Atthatmomentourfriendthebed-makercameouttoseetheprocessiongopast. Andwhilehewaswishingusgoodmorningandenquiringhowwehadslept,afriendofhiswalkedupandjoinedus. Thebed-makerintroducedthisfriendtousasDonEnriqueCardenas. DonEnriquewhenheheardwherewewerefrom,spoketousinEnglish.Heappearedtobeawell-educated,gentlemanlysortofperson. "Andyougotoseethebullfightto-morrow,yes?"heaskedtheDoctorpleasantly. "Certainlynot,"saidJohnDolittlefirmly."Idon'tlikebullfights—cruel,cowardlyshows." DonEnriquenearlyexploded.Ineversawamangetsoexcited. HetoldtheDoctorthathedidn'tknowwhathewastalkingabout. Hesaidbullfightingwasanoblesportandthatthematadorswerethebravestmenintheworld. "Oh,rubbish!"saidtheDoctor."Younevergivethepoorbullachance.Itisonlywhenheisalltiredanddazedthatyourpreciousmatadorsdaretotryandkillhim." IthoughttheSpaniardwasgoingtostriketheDoctorhegotsoangry. Whilehewasstillsplutteringtofindwords,thebed-makercamebetweenthemandtooktheDoctoraside. HeexplainedtoJohnDolittleinawhisperthatthisDonEnriqueCardenaswasaveryimportantperson;thatheitwaswhosuppliedthebulls—aspecial,strongblackkind—fromhisownfarmforallthebullfightsintheCapaBlancas. Hewasaveryrichman,thebed-makersaid,amostimportantpersonage. Hemustn'tbeallowedtotakeoffenseonanyaccount. IwatchedtheDoctor'sfaceasthebed-makerfinished,andIsawaflashofboyishmischiefcomeintohiseyesasthoughanideahadstruckhim.HeturnedtotheangrySpaniard. "DonEnrique,"hesaid,"youtellmeyourbullfightersareverybravemenandskilful. ItseemsIhaveoffendedyoubysayingthatbullfightingisapoorsport. Whatisthenameofthebestmatadoryouhaveforto-morrow'sshow?" "PepitodeMalaga,"saidDonEnrique,"oneofthegreatestnames,oneofthebravestmen,inallSpain." "Verywell,"saidtheDoctor,"Ihaveaproposaltomaketoyou.Ihaveneverfoughtabullinmylife. NowsupposingIweretogointotheringto-morrowwithPepitodeMalagaandanyothermatadorsyouchoose;andifIcandomoretrickswithabullthantheycan,wouldyoupromisetodosomethingforme?" DonEnriquethrewbackhisheadandlaughed. "Man,"hesaid,"youmustbemad!Youwouldbekilledatonce.Onehastobetrainedforyearstobecomeaproperbullfighter." "SupposingIwerewillingtotaketheriskofthat—Youarenotafraid,Itakeit,toacceptmyoffer?" "Afraid!"hecried,"Sir,ifyoucanbeatPepitodeMalagainthebull-ringI'llpromiseyouanythingitispossibleformetogrant." "Verygood,"saidtheDoctor,"nowIunderstandthatyouarequiteapowerfulmanintheseislands.Ifyouwishedtostopallbullfightinghereafterto-morrow,youcoulddoit,couldn'tyou?" "Yes,"saidDonEnriqueproudly—"Icould." "WellthatiswhatIaskofyou—ifIwinmywager,"saidJohnDolittle. "IfIcandomorewithangrybullsthancanPepitodeMalaga,youaretopromisemethatthereshallneverbeanotherbullfightintheCapaBlancassolongasyouarealivetostopit.Isitabargain?" TheSpaniardheldouthishand. "Itisabargain,"hesaid—"Ipromise.ButImustwarnyouthatyouaremerelythrowingyourlifeaway,foryouwillcertainlybekilled. However,thatisnomorethanyoudeserveforsayingthatbullfightingisanunworthysport. Iwillmeetyouhereto-morrowmorningifyoushouldwishtoarrangeanyparticulars.Goodday,Sir." AstheSpaniardturnedandwalkedintotheshopwiththebed-maker,Polynesia,whohadbeenlisteningasusual,flewupontomyshoulderandwhisperedinmyear, "I,haveaplan.GetholdofBumpoandcomesomeplacewheretheDoctorcan'thearus.Iwanttotalktoyou." InudgedBumpo'selbowandwecrossedthestreetandpretendedtolookintoajeweler'swindow;whiletheDoctorsatdownuponhisbedtolaceuphisboots,theonlypartofhisclothinghehadtakenoffforthenight. "Listen,"saidPolynesia,"I'vebeenbreakingmyheadtryingtothinkupsomewaywecangetmoneytobuythosestoreswith;andatlastI'vegotit." "No,stupid.Theidea—tomakethemoneywith. Listen:theDoctorissimplyboundtowinthisgameto-morrow,sureasyou'realive. NowallwehavetodoistomakeasidebetwiththeseSpaniards—they'regreatongambling—andthetrick'sdone." "OhIknowwhatthatis,"saidBumpoproudly. "WeusedtohavelotsofthematOxfordwhenboat-racingwason. IgotoDonEnriqueandsay,'IbetyouahundredpoundstheDoctorwins.' Thenifhedoeswin,DonEnriquepaysmeahundredpounds;andifhedoesn't,IhavetopayDonEnrique." "That'stheidea,"saidPolynesia."Onlydon'tsayahundredpounds:saytwo-thousandfive-hundredpesetas.NowcomeandfindoldDonRicky-tickyandtrytolookrich." Sowecrossedthestreetagainandslippedintothebed-maker'sshopwhiletheDoctorwasstillbusywithhisboots. "DonEnrique,"saidBumpo,"allowmetointroducemyself.IamtheCrownPrinceofJolliginki.Wouldyoucaretohaveasmallbetwithmeonto-morrow'sbullfight?" "Whycertainly,"hesaid,"Ishallbedelighted.ButImustwarnyouthatyouareboundtolose.Howmuch?" "Ohameretruffle,"saidBumpo—"justforthefunofthething,youknow.Whatdoyousaytothree-thousandpesetas?" "Iagree,"saidtheSpaniardbowingoncemore."Iwillmeetyouafterthebullfightto-morrow." "Sothat'sallright,"saidPolynesiaaswecameouttojointheDoctor."Ifeelasthoughquitealoadhadbeentakenoffmymind." 
