ch the elephant find out, by swinging his tethered leg, first in one
direction and then in another, how to free himself. This he did, first
by swinging his leg round and round over the stump, then by walking
slowly round and round, always facing the bull, and drawing his cord
farther and farther until he was perfectly free: then he was careful
only to turn as on a pivot, keeping the rope at a stretch. Finally the
bull charged at him with great fury; stepping slightly aside, Pizarro
caught him up sideways on his tusks, and held him up in the air,
perfectly impotent and mad with rage. When he considered the puny
creature had been sufficiently shown his inferiority, he gently put him
down, and the astonished and humbled bull declined further contest. The
fighting bulls of Spain are wonderfully small in comparison with English
animals, it should be said.

[Illustration: DRAGGING OUT THE DEAD BULL]

Every night, after his turn at the circus was over poor old Pizarro used
to walk home alone under my balcony, open his stable door with his own
latch-key, or at least his trunk, and put himself to bed like any
Christian.

One of the most fashionable amusements in Madrid is to attend on the
morning of the bull-fight while the _espadas_ choose the particular
bulls they wish to have as enemy, and affix their colours, the large
rosette of ribbon which shows which of the _toreros_ the bull is to meet
in deadly conflict. The bulls are then placed in their iron cages in the
order in which they are to enter the arena. The fashionable ladies and
other _aficionados_ of the sport then drive back to Madrid to luncheon
and to prepare for the entertainment of the afternoon.

CHAPTER VIII

THE PRESS AND ITS LEADERS

Perhaps there are few countries where the influence of the Press is
greater than in Spain, and this is largely due to the fact that while
the journals are read by everyone, for a great number of the people they
form the only literature. The free library is not yet universal in the
country, though, doubtless, in the near future it may become general. In
the meantime, every imaginable shade of political opinion has its organ;
even the Bull-Ring has at least two excellently illustrated newspapers:
and the extra sheets, printed hastily and sold immediately after the
_corrida_ has terminated, have an enormous sale. Deserving of mention is
the curious little paper known as the "Night-cap of Madrid," because it
is supposed t