The Valiant Runaways [5]
his back. He rolled over quickly, but before he could
gather his legs under him, the bear sat himself squarely upon the heavy
flanks. The bull jerked up his head, his eyes injected, his tongue
rolling out. The bear raised one of his mighty paws and dealt him a box
on the ear. The head fell with an ugly thud on the hard floor of the
corral. The bear adjusted himself comfortably and licked his paws.
On the wall the onlookers were far more excited than the gladiators in
the arena. The Perezes sympathised with their personal property, but
Roldan and Adan felt that the bear was their menagerie, and that their
honour was at stake. Party feeling ran very high. Roldan and Benito were
twice separated by their anxious elders.
"Ay! yi!" cried Carlos. "The bull wakes."
The poor bull, in truth, despite the crushing weight on his vitals,
raised his head again, shook himself feebly, and was once more boxed
into unconsciousness. The side of his face was crushed; his body was
slowly flattening. The family encouraged him with tears and spirit.
"Ay, Ignacio, Ignacio, my poor one!" cried Don Jose. "Arouse thyself and
kill the brute. Ay! thou wert so beautiful, so elegant, thy sleek sides
like the satin of Dona Theresa--and he like a wild man that has never
washed. Where is thy pride, Ignacio? Arouse thyself!"
Thus encouraged, the bull raised his head once more. The bear gave him a
whack that snapped his spinal cord, then rose and swung himself round
the enclosure with the arrogant mien of a bloated sultan who has swept
off a troublesome head. This attitude aroused Benito to fury.
"Ay, the cheat! the assassin!" he cried. "It was not a fair fight. Our
Ignacio had no chance--"
"That is not true!" exclaimed Roldan. "He had the same chance at the
first. If you are not satisfied, Senorito Benito, then fight me."
No sooner said than done. The boys, who stood some distance from the
others, doubled their fists and rushed at each other like two fighting
cocks. They pommelled for several minutes, then locked their arms about
each other and went reeling about the wall, to the horror of the others,
who dared not approach lest they should inflame them further.
"Jump down! Jump down, you imbeciles!" cried Don Jose." Do you wish to
be food for the bear? A misstep--" The words ended in a hoarse gurgle.
Dona Theresa shrieked. Adan and Carlos sobbed. The young men turned cold
and weak. The two boys had fallen headlong into the corral.
They were sobered and fraternal in a moment. The bear stood upon his
hind legs and opened his arms invitingly. He stood in front of the gate.
"Ay! ay!" gasped Benito. "He will eat us!"
"No; he will eat the bull first; but he will hug us to death--that is,
if he gets us--which he won't. Adan!" he cried, "lower the ladder."
Benito began to cry, his terror enhanced by the babel of voices on the
wall, each of which was suggesting a different measure. On the opposite
wall and in the branches of a neighbouring tree were the Indian servants
and the vaqueros. They stared stupidly, with shaking lips.
Adan had recovered his presence of mind. With a firm hand, he lowered
the ladder. But his wit was not quick. He should have carried it along
the wall and placed it behind the boys. Instead, it descended several
yards away. The bear, who appeared to be no fool, lowered his forepaws
and trotted slowly toward the boys.
"Juan!" shouted Roldan to a vaquero. "Lasso the bull and drag him to the
west side--far from the gate."
The vaquero, alert enough under orders, swung the lasso with supple
wrist--and missed. The boys dodged the bear, who seemed in no haste, but
stalked them methodically, nevertheless. The vaquero swung again. This
time the rope caught the horns, was tightened by a quick turn, and the
carcass went thudding across the yard. The bear gave a furious howl and
plunged after. The boys scampered up the ladder. Don Jose took each by
the collar and shook them soundly. When they were released they embraced
each other.
"Ay! but I was inhospitable to
gather his legs under him, the bear sat himself squarely upon the heavy
flanks. The bull jerked up his head, his eyes injected, his tongue
rolling out. The bear raised one of his mighty paws and dealt him a box
on the ear. The head fell with an ugly thud on the hard floor of the
corral. The bear adjusted himself comfortably and licked his paws.
On the wall the onlookers were far more excited than the gladiators in
the arena. The Perezes sympathised with their personal property, but
Roldan and Adan felt that the bear was their menagerie, and that their
honour was at stake. Party feeling ran very high. Roldan and Benito were
twice separated by their anxious elders.
"Ay! yi!" cried Carlos. "The bull wakes."
The poor bull, in truth, despite the crushing weight on his vitals,
raised his head again, shook himself feebly, and was once more boxed
into unconsciousness. The side of his face was crushed; his body was
slowly flattening. The family encouraged him with tears and spirit.
"Ay, Ignacio, Ignacio, my poor one!" cried Don Jose. "Arouse thyself and
kill the brute. Ay! thou wert so beautiful, so elegant, thy sleek sides
like the satin of Dona Theresa--and he like a wild man that has never
washed. Where is thy pride, Ignacio? Arouse thyself!"
Thus encouraged, the bull raised his head once more. The bear gave him a
whack that snapped his spinal cord, then rose and swung himself round
the enclosure with the arrogant mien of a bloated sultan who has swept
off a troublesome head. This attitude aroused Benito to fury.
"Ay, the cheat! the assassin!" he cried. "It was not a fair fight. Our
Ignacio had no chance--"
"That is not true!" exclaimed Roldan. "He had the same chance at the
first. If you are not satisfied, Senorito Benito, then fight me."
No sooner said than done. The boys, who stood some distance from the
others, doubled their fists and rushed at each other like two fighting
cocks. They pommelled for several minutes, then locked their arms about
each other and went reeling about the wall, to the horror of the others,
who dared not approach lest they should inflame them further.
"Jump down! Jump down, you imbeciles!" cried Don Jose." Do you wish to
be food for the bear? A misstep--" The words ended in a hoarse gurgle.
Dona Theresa shrieked. Adan and Carlos sobbed. The young men turned cold
and weak. The two boys had fallen headlong into the corral.
They were sobered and fraternal in a moment. The bear stood upon his
hind legs and opened his arms invitingly. He stood in front of the gate.
"Ay! ay!" gasped Benito. "He will eat us!"
"No; he will eat the bull first; but he will hug us to death--that is,
if he gets us--which he won't. Adan!" he cried, "lower the ladder."
Benito began to cry, his terror enhanced by the babel of voices on the
wall, each of which was suggesting a different measure. On the opposite
wall and in the branches of a neighbouring tree were the Indian servants
and the vaqueros. They stared stupidly, with shaking lips.
Adan had recovered his presence of mind. With a firm hand, he lowered
the ladder. But his wit was not quick. He should have carried it along
the wall and placed it behind the boys. Instead, it descended several
yards away. The bear, who appeared to be no fool, lowered his forepaws
and trotted slowly toward the boys.
"Juan!" shouted Roldan to a vaquero. "Lasso the bull and drag him to the
west side--far from the gate."
The vaquero, alert enough under orders, swung the lasso with supple
wrist--and missed. The boys dodged the bear, who seemed in no haste, but
stalked them methodically, nevertheless. The vaquero swung again. This
time the rope caught the horns, was tightened by a quick turn, and the
carcass went thudding across the yard. The bear gave a furious howl and
plunged after. The boys scampered up the ladder. Don Jose took each by
the collar and shook them soundly. When they were released they embraced
each other.
"Ay! but I was inhospitable to