Perhaps the greatest of all bull-fighters was Frascuelo. The Spaniards declare that no _torero_ has taken his place. Guerra, his rival, was a fine fighter, but he has retired, and lives on his laurels at Cordova. Frascuelo was the leader of what may be called the dare-devil school of bull-fighters. He was always at close quarters with the bull, and he strove to out-do the most daring _espadas_ of his day. Bombita, or Bombita-Chico, is a young _torero_ of great courage and especially popular in Madrid, where he was born.
Mazzantini is now only seen occasionally in the Plaza de Toros. He is a big stalwart man, but past his prime, though he is still esteemed by his admirers as the best fighter in Spain. Conejito, who was wounded in Barcelona in 1903, is another favourite of the public. But the first exponent of bull-fighting is, in the opinion of the majority, the handsome and plucky Fuentes. This _torero_ is not only a proficient _espada_; he plays all the parts in the ring except that of _picador_. Fuentes exercises a weird power over his bulls. He fixes the bull with his keen eyes as he approaches him, and steps backward, slowly followed by the enraged and fascinated _toro_, in whose neck he deliberately sticks a dart. The spell of this man’s eyes has a subtle influence which seems to utterly bewilder a bull. Again and again the bull advances to the attack, only to turn aside from the glare of the _espada’s_ eyes.
The favourite device of Bombita is to kneel on the ground, shaking the _muleta_ in the bull’s face. In such a position it is, of course, almost impossible for the _espada_ to skip aside when the bull charges, and the art of the trick lies in receiving the horns upon the red cloth. Guerra, sometimes called Guerrita, used to allow the bull to pass so close to him that his side was often scratched by the point of the horn.
Every stratagem and feat of the _espada_ in the final _suerte_ of the ring has its technical name, such as _pase de pecho_, _pase natural_, and _paso por alto_, and all these tricks are closely watched and criticised by the vast concourse of spectators. Fuentes has written learnedly upon the theory and practice of his art, describing the various _pases_ minutely. Those who are interested in the literature of the bull-ring will find a complete account of the life of the bull from the placid days of youth upon the plains, down to the last tragic scene in the Plaza, in _Los Toros_, an illustrated pamphlet by E. Contreras y R. de Palacio. Fuller and more advanced “tauromachian” literature may be purchased in Madrid. Among the works of note are Bedoya’s _Historia del Toreo_, _Annales del Toréo_, by Velazquez, and _En la Plaza_, by Pascual Millan. There are several magazines and journals much read by the devotees of the sport, such as _La Lidia_ and _El Toréo_. Bull-fighting is a subject of perennial interest in Madrid, and the _literatura taurina_, issued in the city, would fill many book-shelves.