Moses now gazed at the fairies with wonder and awe; while Tom Seddon exclaimed, "Look at that handsome woman standing in the center of the arena!"
"Is she going to fight the bull?" asked Moses.
"She will take the bull by the horns," said Toney.
"It is the Blessed Virgin,--you may behold a miracle," said the Professor.
"She stands stoutly on her feet," said Toney.
"Look yonder!" exclaimed Tom Seddon, as a gate flew open, and in came, with a bound and a bellow, a huge black bull, with his eyes fiercely glaring, as if he were smarting under some recent insult and expected other indignities to be offered. But beholding the image, he moved towards it, bowing his head and scraping his foot.
"He seems disposed to be very polite in the presence of a lady," said Toney.
"He is making a very profound obeisance," said Tom.
"Only in mockery," said the Professor as the bull rushed forward, and, thrusting his horns through the robes of the Holy Mary, lifted her from the earth. But hardly had he touched her sacred person when a succession of loud reports ensued, such as are heard when idle urchins have fastened their fire-works behind the flanks of some venerable parent of puppies.
The eyes of Moses widely dilated, and he gazed in intense wonder. Off went the bull with the image hanging on his horns, roaring and running around; while ever and anon the Blessed Virgin would emit an explosion which added an increase to his speed. Finally she fell to the ground, and was sacrilegiously trampled under hoof, and lay with her gaudy robes scorched, and smoking, and torn to tatters.
"What a shocking sight!" exclaimed Tom Seddon.
"Will nobody go to her rescue?" said Toney.
"Yonder comes her avenger!" said the Professor, as a man on foot advanced, with one hand brandishing a dart having a small streamer attached to it, and shaking a red flag with the other. The bull, indignant at the insult, came at him with a bound, when, nimbly leaping aside, he planted his missile in the flank of his foe, and the infuriated animal charged on another assailant with similar results.
Soon his sides were covered with little javelins, each having a gaudy pennon on its end waving in the wind. He fought with pluck and determination, but evidently at a disadvantage; for his antagonists, when hard pressed, would retreat behind a circular palisade of posts, whither he could not follow them. Making a charge on one of the buzzards, however, he tore off a wing before the clumsy bird could get out of the way. The disgusting fowl uttered a loud squall, such as was never heard from one of its species before.