There was no protest, and Walker was glad afterwards when he pieced the little sections of the plot together that he hadn't struck out on the trail of the story before that memorable bull-fight.
"And what's the man with the wheelbarrow doing in the parade?" Nan asked the question of Walker Jamieson.
They were all sitting now in the huge arena, "Plaza de Toros," the most important bull-fighting ring in all Mexico. The place was packed and Nan thought as she looked out over the people that she had never in her life seen such a gay colorful crowd, nor one in such an excited mood.
They were sitting on the shady side of the ring, "Sombra" it was called, the seats of which cost twice the price of those on the sunny side, or "Sol."
It was four o'clock exactly and the cuadrilla or parade that precedes every bull-fight had just entered the arena. Everyone was standing up shouting, waving his sombrero, and cheering for his favorite.
"That's a secret, not to be divulged until later," Walker answered Nan's question.
"I didn't know it would be like this," Grace, generally so quiet and shy, said. Her face was all alight and she was waving the pillow that had been bought for her to sit on, as were all the rest of the girls and women in the place. Laura was waving hers too, and so were Bess and Nan and Amelia.
Down in the ring below them the parade was marching around. First came a man on a spirited horse that pranced and danced and bowed its head to the ground again and again as the rider circled the ring. Then followed the matadores or bullfighters themselves in brilliant costumes that proclaimed to everyone that they were the heroes of the hour. It was for them that pillows were waved and cheers echoed back and forth across the ring.
"Oh, they're gorgeous, simply gorgeous," Nan was carried away with the excitement. "What are they called?" she pointed her finger to a number of men now riding on horseback and directed her question to Walker.
"And look, what are they?" Laura turned to him at the same time. She was pointing to men in white suits, red sashes, and caps who came in on mules.
"One at a time, please," Walker laughed at their excitement. "Nan's first. Those men on horseback are the picadores. Watch them later. And you, Señorita," he turned to Laura, "you asked about the wise monkeys, 'monosabios' we Mexicans call them. When the fight's over they'll drag out the dead bull."