The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1898-06-18

be told n from another. but they were
~curious1y alike. Tho feathers Of both were
colored with the same small, light gray
spcckles. The head of each had been trim
med clear of all trace of combs n waffle
till the poor fowls locked as if they were
wearing tight scarlet cowls. All round the
root of the tail, both above and beneath,
the smaller feathers had been pluckcd
away and the bare skin rubbed till it was
purple rcd and callous with the daily up
plication of salt. From where we sat the
birds matched one another like two beans.
But there was no time for q prolonged
survey Of them. They did not waste ten
seconds in preliminary sparring. They
advanced up to one another like featsered
heroes, pecked, stabbed, beat with their
wings and jumped over mi another all at
one time and almost while n drew a
breath. Two or three feathers N1uttcred
cut, and these, by the way, were almost
the only ones shed during the main, and
then they turned and were at it again
bcak and spur for all they were worth.
The voices of the watching crowd had Liz
away in silence, and the birds fought in 81
lence also. 1t was only when they stood
together in u close rally that the excite
ment got too keen to be held in check and
broke out in shouts and noisy bets.
Artificial steel spurs are not used in
these Philippine cockfights. The cocks
natural weapon is sharpened up to the
keenest OF points, and if by any mishap
he loses or breaks it md if he is worthy of
the attention another is cut off o dead bird
and strapped to his heel.
The spur work in this fight was SO quick
that one could hardly see it. The birds
pecked at one another and hit with their
wings, and then one would jump over the
other and spur as he passed like a flash OF
lightning. A little blood showed on the
feathers, but not much; but as the main
went on, and it lasted for 30 minutes, the
birds got SO staggery that first onc and
then the other kept on sparring for wind.
1t was a very queer sight to see the ex-
hausted bird ram it's head under its OPP
p~onent's wing and stay there and suffer
itself to be spurred and pecked and drag
ged about the floor on the pit till it had
recovered sufficiently to take the other in
chanccry in its turn.
So the fight went on. But flesh and beak
and feathers lave limit to their endurance,
and for the last few minutes the plucky
birds reeled back on their tails as they
faced one another, and every blow was a
Touchdown. At last one cock staggered
off to the side of the Enclosure and put its
cropped red poll between the green palings.
The audience froze into silence. The
five cognescenti on the green seats beside
the pit pointed to the bird with wise fin
gers, discussed the situation With cold
learning and gave an order. The two at
tendants went into the pit and each took
up a bird and put it behind n OF the
gates as before. The attendants stepped
down and the speckled gameeocks stag
gered out into the middle of the pit.
But the bird which had thrown up the
sponge before lurched off to the green pal
ings again and thrust its pathetic head
through in full acknowledgment of defeat.
The other fowl took a brace on himself
and hitched up his draggled tail and
thrust out his meager chest, raised his
scarlet head aloft and crowed in victory.