English
ThenextdaywasagreatdayinMonteverde.
Allthestreetswerehungwithflags;andeverywheregailydressedcrowdsweretobeseenflockingtowardsthebull-ring,asthebigcircuswascalledwherethefightstookplace.
ThenewsoftheDoctor'schallengehadgoneroundthetownand,itseemed,hadcausedmuchamusementtotheislanders.
TheveryideaofamereforeignerdaringtomatchhimselfagainstthegreatPepitodeMalaga!—Servehimrightifhegotkilled!
TheDoctorhadborrowedabullfighter'ssuitfromDonEnrique;andverygayandwonderfulhelookedinit,thoughBumpoandIhadhardworkgettingthewaistcoattocloseinfrontandeventhenthebuttonskeptburstingoffitinalldirections.
Whenwesetoutfromtheharbortowalktothebull-ring,crowdsofsmallboysranafterusmakingfunoftheDoctor'sfatness,callingout,"JuanHagapoco,elgruesomatador!"
whichistheSpanishfor,"JohnDolittle,thefatbullfighter."
AssoonaswearrivedtheDoctorsaidhewouldliketotakealookatthebullsbeforethefightbegan;andwewereatonceledtothebullpenwhere,behindahighrailing,sixenormousblackbullsweretrampingaroundwildly.
InafewhurriedwordsandsignstheDoctortoldthebullswhathewasgoingtodoandgavethemcarefulinstructionsfortheirpartoftheshow.
Thepoorcreaturesweretremendouslygladwhentheyheardthattherewasachanceofbullfightingbeingstopped;andtheypromisedtodoexactlyastheyweretold.
Ofcoursethemanwhotookusintheredidn'tunderstandwhatweweredoing.HemerelythoughtthefatEnglishmanwascrazywhenhesawtheDoctormakingsignsandtalkinginoxtongue.
FromtheretheDoctorwenttothematadors'dressing-roomswhileBumpoandIwithPolynesiamadeourwayintothebull-ringandtookourseatsinthegreatopen-airtheatre.
Itwasaverygaysight.Thousandsofladiesandgentlemenwerethere,alldressedintheirsmartestclothes;andeverybodyseemedveryhappyandcheerful.
RightatthebeginningDonEnriquegotupandexplainedtothepeoplethatthefirstitemontheprogramwastobeamatchbetweentheEnglishDoctorandPepitodeMalaga.
HetoldthemwhathehadpromisediftheDoctorshouldwin.
Butthepeopledidnotseemtothinktherewasmuchchanceofthat.
Aroaroflaughterwentupattheverymentionofsuchathing.
WhenPepitocameintotheringeverybodycheered,theladiesblewkissesandthemenclappedandwavedtheirhats.
Presentlyalargedoorontheothersideoftheringwasrolledbackandingallopedoneofthebulls;thenthedoorwasclosedagain.
Atoncethematadorbecameverymuchonthealert.
Hewavedhisredcloakandthebullrushedathim.
Pepitosteppednimblyasideandthepeoplecheeredagain.
Thisgamewasrepeatedseveraltimes.ButInoticedthatwheneverPepitogotintoatightplaceandseemedtobeinrealdangerfromthebull,anassistantofhis,whoalwayshungaroundsomewherenear,drewthebull'sattentionuponhimselfbywavinganotherredcloak.
ThenthebullwouldchasetheassistantandPepitowasleftinsafety.
Mostoften,assoonashehaddrawnthebulloff,thisassistantranforthehighfenceandvaultedoutoftheringtosavehimself.
Theyevidentlyhaditallarranged,thesematadors;anditdidn'tseemtomethattheywereinanyverygreatdangerfromthepoorclumsybullsolongastheydidn'tslipandfall.
Afterabouttenminutesofthiskindofthingthesmalldoorintothematadors'dressing-roomopenedandtheDoctorstrolledintothering.
Assoonashisfatfigure,dressedInsky-bluevelvet,appeared,thecrowdrockedintheirseatswithlaughter.
JuanHagapoco,astheyhadcalledhim,walkedoutintothecentreoftheringandbowedceremoniouslytotheladiesintheboxes.Thenhebowedtothebull.ThenhebowedtoPepito.
WhilehewasbowingtoPepito'sassistantthebullstartedtorushathimfrombehind.
"Lookout!Lookout!—Thebull!Youwillbekilled!"yelledthecrowd.
ButtheDoctorcalmlyfinishedhisbow.Thenturningroundhefoldedhisarms,fixedtheon-rushingbullwithhiseyeandfrownedaterriblefrown.
Presentlyacuriousthinghappened:thebull'sspeedgotslowerandslower.
Italmostlookedasthoughhewereafraidofthatfrown.Soonhestoppedaltogether.TheDoctorshookhisfingerathim.Hebegantotremble.
Atlast,tuckinghistailbetweenhislegs,thebullturnedroundandranaway.
Thecrowdgasped.TheDoctorranafterhim.
Roundandroundtheringtheywent,bothofthempuffingandblowinglikegrampuses.
Excitedwhispersbegantobreakoutamongthepeople.
Thiswassomethingnewinbullfighting,tohavethebullrunningawayfromtheman,insteadofthemanawayfromthebull.
Atlastinthetenthlap,withafinalburstofspeed,JuanHagapoco,theEnglishmatador,caughtthepoorbullbythetail.
Thenleadingthenowtimidcreatureintothemiddleofthering,theDoctormadehimdoallmanneroftricks:standingonthehindlegs,standingonthefrontlegs,dancing,hopping,rollingover.
Hefinishedupbymakingthebullkneeldown;thenhegotontohisbackanddidhandspringsandotheracrobaticsonthebeast'shorns.
Pepitoandhisassistanthadtheirnosessadlyoutofjoint.Thecrowdhadforgottenthementirely.
TheywerestandingtogetherbythefencenotfarfromwhereIsat,mutteringtooneanotherandslowlygrowinggreenwithjealousy.
FinallytheDoctorturnedtowardsDonEnrique'sseatandbowingsaidinaloudvoice,"Thisbullisnogoodanymore.He'sterrifiedandoutofbreath.Takehimaway,please."
"Doesthecaballerowishforafreshbull?"askedDonEnrique.
"No,"saidtheDoctor,"Iwantfivefreshbulls.AndIwouldlikethemallintheringatonce,please."
Atthisacryofhorrorburstfromthepeople.Theyhadbeenusedtoseeingmatadorsescapingfromonebullatatime.ButFIVE!—Thatmustmeancertaindeath.
PepitosprangforwardandcalledtoDonEnriquenottoallowit,sayingitwasagainstalltherulesofbullfighting.("Ha!"Polynesiachuckledintomyear.
"It'sliketheDoctor'snavigation:hebreaksalltherules;buthegetsthere.
Ifthey'llonlylethim,he'llgivethemthebestshowfortheirmoneytheyeversaw.")Agreatargumentbegan.
HalfthepeopleseemedtobeonPepito'ssideandhalfontheDoctor'sside.
AtlasttheDoctorturnedtoPepitoandmadeanotherverygrandbowwhichburstthelastbuttonoffhiswaistcoat.
"Well,ofcourseifthecaballeroisafraid—"hebeganwithablandsmile.
"Afraid!"screamedPepito."Iamafraidofnothingonearth.IamthegreatestmatadorinSpain.WiththisrighthandIhavekilledninehundredandfifty-sevenbulls."
"Allrightthen,"saidtheDoctor,"letusseeifyoucankillfivemore.Letthebullsin!"heshouted."PepitodeMalagaisnotafraid."
Adreadfulsilencehungoverthegreattheatreastheheavydoorintothebullpenwasrolledback.Thenwitharoarthefivebigbullsboundedintothering.
"Lookfierce,"IheardtheDoctorcalltothemincattlelanguage."Don'tscatter.Keepclose.Getreadyforarush.TakePepito,theoneinpurple,first.ButforHeaven'ssakedon'tkillhim.
Justchasehimoutofthering—Nowthen,alltogether,goforhim!"
Thebullsputdowntheirheadsandallinline,likeasquadronofcavalry,chargedacrosstheringstraightforpoorPepito.
ForonemomenttheSpaniardtriedhishardesttolookbrave.
Butthesightofthefivepairsofhornscomingathimatfullgallopwastoomuch.
Heturnedwhitetothelips,ranforthefence,vaulteditanddisappeared.
"Nowtheotherone,"theDoctorhissed.Andintwosecondsthegallantassistantwasnowheretobeseen.JuanHagapoco,thefatmatador,wasleftaloneintheringwithfiverampagingbulls.
Therestoftheshowwasreallywellworthseeing.
First,allfivebullswentragingroundthering,buttingatthefencewiththeirhorns,pawingupthesand,huntingforsomethingtokill.
TheneachoneinturnwouldpretendtocatchsightoftheDoctorforthefirsttimeandgivingabellowofrage,wouldlowerhiswickedlookinghornsandshootlikeanarrowacrosstheringasthoughhemeanttotosshimtothesky.
Itwasreallyfrightfullyexciting.AndevenIwhoknewitwasallarrangedbeforehand,heldmybreathinterrorfortheDoctor'slifewhenIsawhowneartheycametostickinghim.
Butjustatthelastmoment,whenthehorns'pointsweretwoinchesfromthesky-bluewaistcoat,theDoctorwouldspringnimblytoonesideandthegreatbruteswouldgothunderingharmlesslyby,missinghimbynomorethanahair.
Thenallfiveofthemwentforhimtogether,completelysurroundinghim,slashingathimwiththeirhornsandbellowingwithfury.HowheescapedaliveIdon'tknow.
Forseveralminuteshisroundfigurecouldhardlybeseenatallinthatscrimmageoftossingheads,stampinghoofsandwavingtails.
—Itwas,asPolynesiahadprophesied,thegreatestbullfighteverseen.
OnewomaninthecrowdgotquitehystericalandscreameduptoDonEnrique,
"Stopthefight!Stopthefight!Heistoobraveamantobekilled.Thisisthemostwonderfulmatadorintheworld.Lethimlive!Stopthefight!"
ButpresentlytheDoctorwasseentobreakloosefromthemobofanimalsthatsurroundedhim.
Thencatchingeachofthembythehorns,oneafteranother,hewouldgivetheirheadsasuddentwistandthrowthemdownflatonthesand.
Thegreatfellowsactedtheirpartsextremelywell.
Ihaveneverseentrainedanimalsinacircusdobetter.
TheylaytherepantingonthegroundwheretheDoctorthrewthemasiftheywereexhaustedandcompletelybeaten.
ThenwithafinalbowtotheladiesJohnDolittletookacigarfromhispocket,lititandstrolledoutofthering.
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