The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1900-07-16
,ress the deadliest hatred upon each 9TH

press the deadliest hatred upon each 9TH
er with their eyes.
Then they darted once more at each
other with great violence, these vicious
assaults succeeding continuously with
out interruption. They struck with tall
ons. spurs and beak; they pressed each
other close with their wings, so that they
seemed one bird with two heads; one hid
under the other; they struck against the
uprights OF the iron railing; they pur-
sued each other, fell down, crept. flutter-
ed about, all the time the blows getting
thicker. the feathers flying from their
heads; their necks seemed red as fire,
and their. blood began to iiow freely.
Then they began TO peck each other In
the head, around the eyes, in the eyes;
they stripped each other Of flesh like two
madmen who are afraid OF being parted; !;
they seemed to know that one of them
must die; neither uttered sound; moth
ing was heard but the noise of Tapping
wings. OF the breaking feathers. of the
beaks pecking into. the bone; and not an
instants truce; II was fury that led
straight TO death.
THE BETTING WAS FURIOUS.
The spectators followed intently all the
movements, counting the plucked out
feathers. numbering the wounds. and the
outcry became more furious and the bets
heavier. Ten dollars on the little one."
Twenty-Five on the gray!" "Done!" I'm
your man"
AT certain point one OF the birds made
a movement that betrayed the inferiority
Of his strength. and began to show signs
Of weariness. Sill resisting, his pecks
succeeded each other less frequently, his
spurs struck more feebly. his bounds
were not as high: he seemed to under
stand that he was TO die: he fought no
longer to kill. but TO save himself; he re-
treated. fell down. got up,feli down again.
staggered. E
Then came the vengeance of the other.
growing fiercer; his pecks fell thick and
fast. furious, pitiless. right in the eyes
OF his victim with the regularity OF
mechanism; his neck stretched and re-
coiled with the vigor OF spring. his
beak seized the flesh. twisting and lacer-
ating 1t. than 1t fixed itself in the wound
as II to seek out the most hidden fibres:
as IL II wished to pull out the victims
BRAIN No words can express the scene
of that continual. tireless. inexorable
pecking. The victim writhed, escaped
turned about In the pit. the other close
up behind, right upon II, inseparable as.
shadow, with Its head bent over that
OF the fugitive like confessor. ever
pecking. pricking, lacerating.
WAS NEAR HIS FINISH.
1t did not seem possible that thus be-
mau,ed 1t could live and walk II no
longer had a shape. And yet those re-
mains, that monster. skeleton, drip
ping with blood, still defended itself,
struggling In darkness. tapped its di-
minished wings like two stumps.
stretched out its neshless neck: shook
as skull at random, Finally the dying
Bird stopped suddenly, bent It's head to
earth as II overcome with sleep. and the
executioner watching attentivey. ceased.
The cries OF Its bettors redoubled. They
could no longer bet on the commissions of
agony, so they bet on the symptoms of
death Five dollars that he don't raise
Lis head again. Two that he doesr'
Three that he raises II twice!' "Done."
"Doner'
The dying bird slowly, very slowly,
raised It's head: the executioner quickly
rained upon II a tempest OF vicious
pecks; the cries OF bettors rang out
again the victim made a slight move
ment ouivered. bied az the mouth reeied
and fe.. The conqucror crowed Justify
the Tennessee gray had wop. An attend
ant came and carried them both away.
cock1ght is neaks, always n battle
to the death, and often both die fighting
I'm the pit. Birds bred for the pit are
...e highest known examples OF courage.
Punishment has no other effect on them
than to make them fight harder. Both
= "gaffs." long. sharp steel spurs. may be
run into the flesh To the hilt.
occasionally n well bred good looking
youngster gets into the pit and fights
fcrccly until he ~ touched with the
steel When with n scared cackle ne
jumps outside the PIT. thoroughly sat
isned with the game. but such n rooster
is billed for the pot the moment he
shows the white feather.