Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1898-06-25
G. she pi. behind the gates and the bipeds
WIshOut feathers frot ont

c. she pi. behind the gates and the bipeds
WITHOUT feathers got out ~ l.l
The gamccocks stepped briskly round
the gates into the open, and the attend
ants closed the gates from without, and In
that complete ring of green paling the bat
tie was TO be fought out to finish
One looked eagerly enough for some dis
tinguished mark by which the birds could
be told one from another, but they were
curiously alike. The feathers of both were
colored with the same small, light gray
speckles. The head of each had been trim
med char of all trace of combs and waffle
till the poor fowls looked as if they were
wearing tight scarlet cowls All round the
root of thestail, both above and beneath,
the smaller feathers had been pluckcd
away and the bare skin rubbed till it was
purple red and callous with the daily ap.
plication of salt From where we sat the
birds matched one another like two beans.
But there was no time for prolonged
survey Of them. They did not waste ten
seconds in preliminary sparring. They
advanced up to one another like feathcrcd
heroes, pccked. stabbed, beat with their
wings and jumped over one another all at
one time and almost while one drew n
breath. Two or three feathers fluttercd
out, 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 died
| away in silence, and the birds fought in 81
lcncc also. 1t was only when they stood
together in close rally that the excite
ment got too keen to he held in check and
| broke out in shouts and noisy bets
Artificial steel spurs are not used in
these Philippine cocllfights. The cock S
| natural weapon is sharpcned up to the
kecnest of points, and il Ivy any mishap
! he loses or breaks it and il be is worthy of
the attention another 10 cat 81 dead bird
and strapped to his heel.
The spur work in this fight was so quick
that one could hardly see il. The birds
pcckcd at one another and hit with their
wings, and then one would jump over the
other and spur as he passed like flash of
lightning. A little blood showed on the
feathers, but not much; but as the main
wo,t OH, and it lasted for 20 minutes, the
birds got so stGggcry that first one and
then the other kept on sparring for wind.
| 1t WAS very queer sight To see the cx-
/ uuuStci DlIi ram It's ntsiu uHuCT It's OPP
potent wing and stay there and suffer
itself to be spurred and pccked and drag.
ged about the floor on the pit till it had
recovered sufficiently to take the other In
chancery in its turn.
SO the fight went on. But flesh and beak
and feathers have limit TO their endurance,
and for the last few minutes the plucky
birds reeled back on their tails rs they
faced one another, and every blow was q
Touchdown. At last one cock staggered
off to the side of the Enclosure and put it,
cropped rcd 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 situatiea with cold
learning and gave an order. The two at
PENDANTS went into the pit and each tool
up Il bird and put it behind one of the
gates rs before. The attendants stepped
down and the spccklcd gamecocks stag
gered out into the middle of the pit.
But the bird which had thrown up tb,
sponge before lurchcd off to t1ae grcenepal
ings again and thrust its pathetic head
through in full acknowledgment of defeat
The other fowl took brace on himscl
and hitchcd up his dra9gled tail ant
thrust out his meager chest, raised hi
scarlet head aloft and crowcd in victory.