other wall across the pit of the corral. They waved to us. People who had come late were standing behind us, pressing against us when other people crowded them.
«Why don’t they start?» Robert Cohn asked.
A single mule was hitched to one of the cages and dragged it up against the gate in the corral wall. The men shoved and lifted it with crowbars into position against the gate. Men were standing on the wall ready to pull up the gate of the corral and then the gate of the cage. At the other end of the corral a gate opened and two steers came in, swaying their heads and trotting, their lean flanks swinging. They stood together at the far end, their heads toward the gate where the bull would enter.
«They don’t look happy,» Brett said.
The men on top of the wall leaned back and pulled up the door of the corral. Then they pulled up the door of the cage.
I leaned way over the wall and tried to see into the cage. It was dark. Some one rapped on the cage with an iron bar. Inside something seemed to explode. The bull, striking into the wood from side to side with his horns, made a great noise. Then I saw a dark muzzle and the shadow of horns, and then, with a clattering on the wood in the hollow box, the bull charged and came out into the corral, skidding with his forefeet in the straw as he stopped, his head up, the great hump of muscle on his neck swollen tight, his body muscles quivering as he looked up at the crowd on the stone walls. The two steers backed away against the wall, their heads sunken, their eyes watching the bull.
The bull saw them and charged. A man shouted from behind one of the boxes and slapped his hat against the planks, and the bull, before he reached the steer, turned, gathered himself and charged where the man had been, trying to reach him behind the planks with a half-dozen quick, searching drives with the right horn.
«My God, isn’t he beautiful?» Brett said. We were looking right down on him.
«Look how he knows how to use his horns,» I said. «He’s got a left and a right just like a boxer.»
«Not really?» «You watch.»
«It goes too fast.»
«Wait. There’ll be another one in a minute.»
They had backed up another cage into the entrance. In the far corner a man, from behind one of the plank shelters, attracted the bull, and while the bull was facing away the gate was pulled up and a second bull came out into the corral.
He charged straight for the steers and two men ran out from behind the planks and shouted, to turn him. He did not change his direction and the men shouted: «Hah! Hah! Toro!» and waved their arms; the two steers turned sideways to take the shock, and the bull drove into one of the steers.
«Don’t look,» I said to Brett. She was watching, fascinated. «Fine,» I said. «If it doesn’t buck you.»
«I saw it,» she said. «I saw him shift from his left to his right horn.» «Damn good!»
The steer was down now, his neck stretched out, his head twisted, he lay the way he had fallen. Suddenly the bull left off and made for the other steer which had been standing at the far end, his head swinging, watching it all. The steer ran awkwardly and the bull caught him, hooked him lightly in the flank, and then turned away and looked up at the crowd on the walls, his crest of muscle rising. The steer came up to him and made as though to nose at him and the bull hooked perfunctorily. The next time he nosed at the steer and then the two of them trotted over to the other bull.
When the next bull came out, all three, the two bulls and the steer, stood together, their heads side by side, their horns against the newcomer. In a few minutes the steer picked the new bull up, quieted him down, and made him one of the herd. When the last two bulls had been unloaded the herd were all together.
The steer who had been gored had gotten to his feet and stood against the stone wall. None of the bulls came near him, and he did not attempt to join the herd.
We climbed down from the wall with the crowd, and had a last look at the bulls through the loopholes in the wall of the corral. They were all quiet now, their heads down. We got a carriage outside and rode up to the cafй. Mike and Bill came in half an hour later. They had stopped on the way for several drinks.
We were sitting in the cafй.
«That’s an extraordinary business,» Brett said.
«Will those last ones fight as well as the first?» Robert Cohn asked. «They seemed to quiet down awfully fast.»
«They all know each other,» I said. «They’re only dangerous when they’re alone, or only two or three of themtogether.»
«What do you mean, dangerous?» Bill said. «They all looked dangerous to me.»
«They only want to kill when they’re alone. Of course, if you went in there you’d probably detach one of them from the herd, and he’d be dangerous.»
«That’s too complicated,» Bill said. «Don’t you ever detach me from the herd, Mike.» «I say,» Mike said, «they were fine bulls, weren’t they? Did you see their horns?» «Did I not,» said Brett. «I had no idea what they were like.»
«Did you see the one hit that steer?» Mike asked. «That was extraordinary.» «It’s no life being a steer,» Robert Cohn said.
«Don’t you think so?» Mike said. «I would have thought you’d loved being a steer, Robert.» «What do you mean, Mike?»
«They lead such a quiet life. They never say anything and they’re always hanging about so.» We were embarrassed. Bill laughed. Robert Cohn was angry. Mike went on talking.
«I should think you’d love it. You’d never have to say a word. Come on, Robert. Do say something. Don’t just sit there.»
«I said something, Mike. Don’t you remember? About the steers.»
«Oh, say something more. Say something funny. Can’t you see we’re all having a good time here?»
«Come off it, Michael. You’re drunk,» Brett said.
«I’m not drunk. I’m quite serious. IsRobert Cohn going to follow Brett around like a steer all the time?»
«Shut up, Michael. Try and show a little breeding.»
«Breeding be damned. Who has any breeding, anyway, except the bulls? Aren’t the bulls lovely? Don’t you like them, Bill?Why don’t you say something, Robert? Don’t sit there looking like a bloody funeral. What if Brett did sleep with you? She’s slept with lots of better people than you.»
«Shut up,» Cohn said. He stood up. «Shut up, Mike.»
«Oh, don’t stand up and act as though you were going to hit me. That won’t make any difference to me. Tell me, Robert. Why do you follow Brett around like a poor bloody steer? Don’t you know you’re not wanted? I know when I’m not wanted. Why don’t you know when you’re not wanted? You came down to San Sebastian where you weren’t wanted, and followed Brett around like a bloody steer. Do you think that’s right?»
«Shut up. You’re drunk.»
«Perhaps I am drunk. Why aren’t you drunk? Why don’t you ever get drunk, Robert? You know you didn’t have a good time at San Sebastian because none of our friends would invite you on any of the parties. You can’t blame them hardly. Can you? I asked them to. They wouldn’t do it. You can’t blame them, now. Can you? Now, answer me. Can you blame them?»
«Goto hell, Mike.»
«I can’t blame them. Can you blame them? Why do you follow Brett around? Haven’t you any manners? How do you think it makes me feel?»
«You’re a splendid one to talk about manners,» Brett said. «You’ve such lovely manners.» «Come on, Robert,» Bill said.
«What do you follow her around for?»
Bill stood up and took hold of Cohn.
«Don’t go,» Mike said. «Robert Cohn’s going to buy a drink.»
Bill went off with Cohn. Cohn’s face was sallow. Mike went on talking. I sat and listened for a while. Brett looked disgusted.
«I say, Michael, you might not be such a bloody ass,» she interrupted. «I’m not saying he’s not right, you know.» She turned to me.
The emotion left Mike’s voice. We were all friends together. «I’m not so damn drunk as I sounded,» he said.
«I know you’re not,» Brett said. «We’re none of us sober,» I said.
«I didn’t say anything I didn’t mean.» «But you put it so badly,» Brett laughed.
«He was an ass, though. He came down to San Sebastian where he damn well wasn’t wanted. He hung around Brett and just looked at her. It made me damned well sick.»
«He did behave very badly,» Brett said.
«Mark you. Brett’s had affairs with men before. She tells me all about everything. She gave me this chap Cohn’s letters to read. I wouldn’t read them.»
«Damned noble of you.»
«No, listen, Jake. Brett’s gone off with men. But they weren’t ever Jews, and they didn’t come and hang about afterward.»
«Damned good chaps,» Brett said. «It’s all rot to talk about it. Michael and I understand each other.»
«She gave me Robert Cohn’s letters. I wouldn’t read them.»
«You wouldn’t read any letters, darling. You wouldn’t read mine.» «I can’t read letters,» Mike said. «Funny, isn’t it?»
«You can’t read anything.»
«No. You’re wrong there. I read quite a bit. I read when I’m at home.»
«You’ll be writing next,» Brett said. «Come on, Michael. Do buck up. You’ve got to go