Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1911-05-28

ne place Was as DARK as n POCKET OUT
as soon as I had entered. : understood
that although Il had once been the neigh
borhood smithy and might stiu sometimes
serve as such-indeed. a fire was at that
moment smouldering in hnlf.ruined forge
yet its chief uses had become quite diff
ferent
a half dozen men were squatted in a
circe-wherein no less person than my
cousin" Bran was engaged in matching
a couple Of game cocks. At one side, half
in. half out Of the shadows Of the forga.
two men were playing a round OF cards
BRAINS cries Of announcement com
pletely drowned the noise Of my entrance.
Now. then. Hickory" he exclaimed. To
him. little bantam, Back YOU go, Caesar.
Cad, He deserves the name. don't hee II
that stroke had gone home. the girls would
have been wearing Hickory tail feathers
tomorrow Come, come. easy boy!'
With practced hands he snatched the
two little warriors apart. and balanced
them at arms length. while another man
sprayed a mouthful Of water over them.
Dye see. Acton, "-Bram spoke over his
shoulder. Caesar has the red spots on
the gold brown saddle, there9 And how
the plumes are shiny black blue black
mind. tell you, he's the right breed-real
AAeitedAf ttA A ~ eNtAI 70 II NOW Oh ftlCk-
ory's a regular crow-sooty black all over
Like charcoal burner. eh' Are you
ready
Ready and waitin'." retorted the other.
IN bet YOU Spanish dollar even on
Caesar, squire, just to make the game
level"
'Done!" cried Bran. 'I'u make Il five.
II you'u stand that much"
mo. ones enough for me-"
had thought my entrance had passed
quite unnoticed. but a man who was
orouched at my feet now spoke.
Here's Squire Henry Mr.. Bram-he'u
lay YOU five, I dare say-on Caesar. eh7''
fancied I detected a particular signifl-
canoe In the emphasis laid on the word
However, I spoke up at once.
Yes. Five dollars on Caecar against
Old Hickory"
A sort OF suppressed murmur went round
the circle. I saw the light reflected from
the smooth face Of the knave Of clubs as II
hung suspended in a card players hand.
The suspended hand. and a pair Of solled
boots. were all that I could make out in
that corner, The hand was lowered. and
the boots shifted uneasily
Bran. alert at the first words Of the
man beside him. stared M a bantam in
1-Nii Pam me u-IlS ana shadows from
the forge confused the changing lines OF
his face. For an instant there was 81
lence
Eth. what?' he cried at length. Hello
Henry! Is that you? Come to see A
main. have you? Good for you. Acton.
let my cousin pass there, will you?"
The fellow made way for me civiIrv
enough. and found myself inside the cir
Gle.
Don't let me interrupt you, gentlemen. Of.
/ said. Five on Caesar against Hickory
is that the bet?''
That's it." said the man Acton. And
the best man wins" He swept a glance
about the group. "Ha, ha! 1 mean the
best bird, Ell, boys?''
one OF the card players smoke from, tho
shadow. Best man or best bird-what's
the difference? Caesars a Morvan cock.
amt he, and Hickory's from the swami.
Let EN- fight 1t out. Are YOU game for
another five for the honor of AIorvan.
Squire?'
Plainly the words were addressed 70 me
rather than to Bran. There was a GER
tain contempt, or was IL truculence?- i'm
the speakers tone; besides, the voice was
vaguely familiar TO me. Nevertheless, 1
answered without turning nv head
Done sir! Double with you. IL YOU
like"
There was no response. Br,u b-ol,o
promptly in. ITO it. then. Give EN- an
other spray. Morris Caesar too. mani
Fair plays a jewel Now. stand clear
everybody He tossed the two fowls
hghtly to the ground. without an in
SAINTS hesitation they began 20 fight.
Unlike the custom in some parts Of the
country We Of West Jersey never fight
our cocks with artificial spurs Fitted
only with the weapons Of nature. the birds
ordinarily can do each other little real
harm. A main is apt to be a long one
OFTEN ending without much damage 70
either contestant
IL oade fair TO be a matter OF the same
KIND btweeu Caesar and Hickory. Al
though the birds struck. leaned and yrest
Ieu with fury, only here and there was A
russet-and-gold hackIe torn from the red
pantam's neck. or did a crimson spot stain
lHe Oi"ch COCKS sinister plumage They
were evenly matched
After p fierce rally, when the bIacL cocl,
stimulated by a chorus OF cries ana shouts
had driven Caesar almost agains+ nv, -
became aware OF strange alteration in
the group OF spectators ronscIorsI,, -
unconsciousiy, the country people had
ranged themselves behind Old Hickory as
bottle holders back up their princtpaI IN
the prize ring. I was left the sole SIM
porter OF the gallant red bantam. wbt1a
Bran as an imaprtiaI cockuaster
erouehed midway between the two par-
ties,
Thus u was Caesar against Hickory the
red game against the black cock. the Nor
van bird against the bird from the swami
saw now tRat. in some fashion, the main
was a counterprt Of the struggle between
myself and the piners. The idea served TO
amuse me.
High, boy the men were shouting
Go IT, Blackie! You're the swami bully.
you're the big cock Of the Barrens. Cur
I'm up. hoysl Cut i'm up"
opposed my cries 10 theirs. at hin,
caesar! jump, my beauty, Aha well
done. Down with the black. The russet
forever
Thus encouraged. the two birds faced
each other desperately. neither Welding
an inch. The excitement Of the gamesters
grew-even the card players in the corner
had ceased 10 pretend any interest in their
game OF ola siedge. The toes Of the sojIed
boots were turned squareIy toward tn