The Cook County herald. [volume] (Grand Marais, Minn.) 1893-1909, 1895-07-27


respectable habits, never known to in
dulge in wordy controversies through
the fence-palings, nor in crowings and
challenges Of his neighbors. Since his
marriage to his spouse, Dame Letitia
Bona, he had not fought a single duel,
which, considering the times, was re-
markable circumstance.
Dame Letitia, I fear did not yield
that respect to her lord and master
which he deserved; for often when he
came bringing her a particularly juicy
worm from the garden, a delicio'-5
grub, or some kernels Of corn falle.1-oe-
tween the bars Of the granary, she
would reward his attentions by so saw
age peck upon the head or so fierce
pluck at his gills that he would be
fain to retire with squall.
Dame Letitia Bona came of ancient
fighting stock. There had been famous
game-cock in her family: and, respect
able female as she was, when the white
cock residing in the adjoining yard
would thrust his head between the pal
Ing in contemptuous challenge of Sieur
Bona-the latter, according to his Gus
tom, giving no heed to the bluster of
his quarrelsome neighbor-Dame Letitia
had been known to send the blusterer
back to his family with a nip in his
comb that all his wives-for he was a
Turkish cock and kept harem-had
much ado to heal.
It is not to be marveled at, then, that
one, at least, of Dame Letitia's brood,
when hatched, should exhibit the hered-
itary fighting strain. This little
rooster, whom his mother named Nappy
Leon, after some distant ancestor,
fought his brothers before the shell was
off his back; and never a day passed
but Dame Letitia had to rescue one or
another Of her downy children from the
bill of their fiery brother Nappy.
AS time went on, the young Nappy
became the tyrant Of the barnyard. He
fought a dozen pitched battles with
cocks of his own age. He pecked the
heads Of all the goslings, and pulled out
the feathers of all the ducklings. One
day he even confronted a tough old
gander, and it might have gone hard
with him had not his father happened
along, and, by tudicious ningling of
persuasion and tlattery, soothed the tr-
ritated gander and averted the i'm
pending catastrophe.
Dame Letitia was secretly very proud
ssof her mettleseme offspElng, and b5f-t.er
-.-tf111ts anu eI1rUur agemenJ u1a mucn to
even the soft influence Of her husband.
The Sieur Bona would sigh deeply as
he saw his wife tenderly preening the
ruff1ed feathers of her favorite after
one of his daily battles.
"Ah, wife, he would say, II fear you
are doing very wrong to lend counten-
ance to our sons quarrelsome disposi-
tion.''
"Nonsenser' she would reply, con-
temptuously. "He will get on all the
better for showing some spirit, as others
I could mention should do. This was
one Of her back-handed buffets, which
she knew so we'll how to deliver. For
the Sieur was notable in all the barn
yards around for his mild character.
"Perhaps," would be the quiet an
swer, unless he should get into the
soup in the meantime, my DEAR
After while even the sdoting mother
began to be alarmed at the pugilism Of
her favorite, and sometimes went SO
far as to administer a peck upon the
head Of the youthful Nappy-which, as
every one knows, is the ancient form
of chastisement among fowls. But
Nappy had gotten beyond maternal
control, and with a "squawk'' Of pain
and anger, the spoiled chick would be
off to pick up another scuff1e with the
red bantam, his particular enemy, or
the Black Spanish cockerel, who was
just sprouting his spurs and boldly de-
clared his intention of putting down
that hot-headed Nappy some day.
r At length the hour came when the