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One student was tossed five times by a becerra (yearling cow). Another lost his pants when a horn severed his waistband; a third became so excited that he threw away his sword and tried to throw his becerra to the ground. The crowd got into the act; howling volunteers from the stands jumped into the ring, flinging capes on the sand. But after the wild melee, one old aficionado said: "This was a big day. It took an American to bring back Alcalá's enthusiasm."
"Professor" Franklin was bubbling: "With these kids around me, and the smell of the sand and the bulls in my nostrils in my own plaza, I'll never be an old, retired matador. I'll go right on in the ring until I die, with my fighting slippers on."
*The other two, according to Franklin: Juan Belmonte and José ("Joselito") Ortega.
*Bullfighter from Brooklyn (Prentice Hall; $3.75).