The Funny Philosophers Part 58

"Yonder comes her avenger!" said the Professor, as a man on foot advanced, with one hand brandishing a dart having a small streamer attached to it, and shaking a red flag with the other. The bull, indignant at the insult, came at him with a bound, when, nimbly leaping aside, he planted his missile in the flank of his foe, and the infuriated animal charged on another a.s.sailant with similar results.

Soon his sides were covered with little javelins, each having a gaudy pennon on its end waving in the wind. He fought with pluck and determination, but evidently at a disadvantage; for his antagonists, when hard pressed, would retreat behind a circular palisade of posts, whither he could not follow them. Making a charge on one of the buzzards, however, he tore off a wing before the clumsy bird could get out of the way. The disgusting fowl uttered a loud squall, such as was never heard from one of its species before.

"The poor fairy has lost one of his pinions," said Tom.

"He will not be able to soar away to his home in the Andes after he has dined," said Toney.

"The cavalry are about to take part in the engagement," said the Professor, as the hors.e.m.e.n galloped around and added to the torments of the animal by p.r.i.c.king him with their lances.

"He fights _manfully_," said Tom.

"Mr. Seddon," said the Professor, "be so good as to keep your Irish bulls in the background. You should not venture to introduce them among Spanish cattle."

"He exhibits great courage against overwhelming odds," said Toney.

"But, as has been asked on numerous occasions, what can a single hero do against a host?" said the Professor.

"What is that big man going to do with his long knife?" asked Moses, as a stalwart fellow, armed with a short, straight sword, advanced on foot and fixed his gaze on his victim. With eyes wildly rolling, and red torrents of blood streaming from his wounds, the bull moved towards this new antagonist, with his head to the ground, hoping to toss him on his horns. But the wily matadore, with a dexterous thrust, pierced the spine of the neck, and the agonies of the animal were over. Hardly had he fallen when the four buzzards rushed forward and commenced pecking at the carca.s.s.

"The fairies are hungry," said the Professor, turning round and speaking to Moses.

"The one-winged gentleman seems determined to have his share of the feast," said Toney.

"Look! look!" cried Tom Seddon, as up went a rocket and in came six white horses splendidly harnessed, by whose united strength the mutilated body of the bull was dragged out at a gallop, to make room for another victim.

"Look at yonder fellow riding his horse around the arena, with his side gored open and torrents of blood gushing from the ghastly wound!" said Toney.

"This is pretty sport, but I think that I will put an end to it," said the Professor to Toney, in a low and confidential tone.

"That is impossible," said Toney.

"The celebrated Arago says that he who, outside of pure mathematics, uses the word impossible, lacks prudence," said the Professor.

"Here he comes!" cried Tom Seddon, as a bull of prodigious size and savage ferocity bounded into the arena, and after moving around and wildly glaring at the a.s.sembled mult.i.tude, finally halted within a few paces of the seats occupied by Toney and the Professor. The enraged animal was pawing the earth with his foot, when one of the combatants advanced towards him, brandishing a dart. The bull elevated his head and surveyed him with an indignant look. The man poised his missile and was about to hurl it when, in the Castilian language, from the mouth of the angry animal come forth the words,--

"Hold, villain! hold!"

The man dropped his dart and instantly fled. On the seats in proximity to the Professor there were great commotion and alarm, while from those afar off there were loud cries of derision at the cowardice exhibited by the combatant who had fled. Several men now advanced on foot, and the hors.e.m.e.n followed, with the four buzzards in the rear, flapping their wings. They surrounded the bull, and each footman brandished his dart, while the hors.e.m.e.n poised their lances. The animal regarded them with a ferocious aspect, and, as they were about to attack him with their weapons, a hoa.r.s.e voice was heard issuing from his throat, and exclaiming,--

"Stand back! ye b.l.o.o.d.y villains, forbear!"

The men recoiled in horror, and, dropping their weapons, fled with precipitation, exclaiming, "El diablo! el diablo!"

The buzzards hurried over the barricades followed by the footmen, who threw themselves among the spectators, crying out, "El diablo! el diablo!--it is the devil! it is the devil!" The hors.e.m.e.n galloped frantically around, and finally fled through a gate, which was instantly closed and barred. "El diablo! el diablo!" was shouted by hundreds of voices.

"It is Satan! it is Satan!" exclaimed several priests, who sat near the Professor, as the bull, after running around, stood still and glared at them with fiery eyes.

"I am Beelzebub!" roared the bull.

With loud cries of "Satan!" "Beelzebub!" "the devil!" the priests and the people leaped from their seats, and, tumbling over each other, rolled out of the amphitheater into the open air. Along the banks of the Rimac, men, women, and children were flying in terror, with loud cries of "El diablo! el diablo!"

"Where is Moses?" asked the Professor, as with Toney and Tom he sat in the deserted amphitheater.

"He and Wiggins have gone with the crowd," said Toney.

"The bull will have to perform before empty benches," said the Professor.

"That animal has created more commotion than any of the Pope's bulls in the Dark Ages," said Toney.

"He is equal to Apis, the sacred bull of the Egyptians," said the Professor, as they arose from their seats and left the amphitheater.

CHAPTER XLIV.

At the hotel in Lima the Professor and his friends found the supercargo of the ship who had come to hunt up the pa.s.sengers. The captain had been in trouble; the crew having mutinied and refused to work because they were not allowed the privilege of a cruise on sh.o.r.e. The controversy between the quarter-deck and the forecastle was finally adjusted, and the crew agreed to go to work on condition of afterwards having one day of liberty. The supercargo said that they were now on sh.o.r.e in Callao, and that the vessel would sail on the following morning.

Upon receiving this information, the pa.s.sengers made preparations to proceed on foot to Callao; it being impossible to obtain any vehicle on that day, as everything which had wheels or hoofs had gone to the bull-fight and had been left behind in the general stampede which ensued. The Professor inquired for M. T. Pate, but he was not in the hotel, and from information received, it was supposed that he had already left the city and proceeded to the port.

Lima, unlike most American cities, is encompa.s.sed by a wall. Just beyond the gate, which opens on the six miles of level road leading to Callao, are a number of mounds heaped up by the ancient inhabitants of the country for the purpose of hiding the remains of mortality. But as these poor pagans were unwilling to leave the world as unadorned as they had entered it, numerous excavations had been made by their Christian successors, who had stripped them of their heathenish ornaments, and carried them off, to be converted into the images of saints.

The Professor and his companions turned aside from the road and proceeded to an inspection of the place.

Hercules had already thrust his long neck into one of the excavations, when, with a loud exclamation, he drew suddenly back as if he had certainly seen a sight. The Long Green Boy now peeped into the aperture, and, starting back, looked as if he were about to exclaim, "Angels and ministers of grace, defend us!" But lo! it starts up--it moves towards them--long, lean, and spectral!--in robes as white as the driven snow, like the shivering shade of an ancient Inca come hither to mourn over the extinction of his race.

Hercules a.s.sumes the posture of a racer ready to make a desperate spring, and only waiting for the word "Go!" The Professor throws himself in the att.i.tude of Hamlet in his interesting interview with the ghost.

Botts clutches the hilt of his bowie-knife and stands prepared to battle with whatever may come forth. But hold! rash man, forbear! No horrible apparition of an unbaptized infidel is this, but a pious Christian and a poor countryman in distress. It is the unfortunate M. T. Pate stalking forth with no covering except a single shirt.

Finding no congenial society in the city, he had wandered hither to meditate among the tombs. His reveries were rudely interrupted by certain grim-looking fellows carrying carbines, one of which was presented to his breast with an observation which, for want of an interpreter, he was unable to comprehend. Poor Pate was too much awed to animadvert upon the sinfulness of such proceedings on Sunday; and these bold Sabbath-breakers, having rifled his pockets, stripped him of all that he had, and left him in the condition in which he was found.

Having heard his dolorous story, the Professor exclaimed,--

"But, Mr. Pate, what is to be done? You cannot travel along the public highway in that condition of nudity."

"If he does," said Toney, "the people will suppose that he is a model artist."

"The weather is hot," said Tom Seddon. "And he will not feel uncomfortable with nothing on but his shirt."

"If Pate goes into Callao, in a nude condition, he will frighten the women into fits," said Toney.

"And he will be arrested and put in the calaboose," said the Professor.

"What is to be done?" asked Toney. "Our trunks are in Callao, and there is no spare clothing among us."

"Mr. Pate can have my drawers," said Wiggins. And he pulled them off and handed them to his unfortunate friend.