Year: 1877

A practical joke was played nearly
thirty years ago at cooking main in
Havana by some sailors belonging to
an American man-of-war. The sailors
had been betting and losing day after
day at the cockpit, which was the
amusement they most affected, until
they were all left without cent. In
that plight the sailors were when the
man-of-war was ordered off to San
Francisco. A number of months after
wards the vessel returned to Havana,
and the Jack Tars had fully matured
scheme for vengeance. Drawing all
their pay, and borrowing all the money
they could in addition at the first shore
leave they started for the cockpit, car
rying with them their gold and bag,
about which they preserved a great
deal of mystery. Some of the ships
officers surmising that something was
in the wind followed, but not even to
them was the sailors secret divulged.
Scarcely had they reached the pit when
an excited Spaniard sprang into the
little arena where battle had just end
cd. Under his left arm he carried a
hand he fourished bag of dOubloOns,
and he yelled forth challenge on be-
half of his bird against anything that
wore feathers.


No other challenger could have been
half so welcome to the sailors, for dur
ing their former unhappy experience he
had been their bette noir, raking in their
gold pieces almost as fast as they could
bet them. His verbose and grandilo-
quent defiance was promptly accepted,
the money was staked, and the Ameri-
cans shook their champion out of the
mysterious bag. A nondescript crea-
ture it was, with great solid body,
roughly covered with chicken feathers
and tar, its wings and tail clipped; its
head broad and adorned with a keen
curved beak, with long, sharp talOns at
the ends of it's toes, instead of gaff upon
its legs. Despite its strange half-dis-
guise the officers recognized it at once
as an American eagle. But the Span
iards knew nothing about it, and the
one who had made the match was
furious, deeming himself insulted by
the pitting of such miserable looking
creature against his splendid fowl. The
alcalde ordered, however, that the fight
should take place according to the
terms of the challenge, and the sen
or TOSSED his bird into the pit
1t was ready to fight of course, for a
game-cock of good blood would not
hesitate to attack bird as big as the
fabled roe. So, the first notice the
American game chicken, as the sailors
had christened their bird, received OF
the presence of the enemy was a fierce
attack. He looked calmly down upon
the game cock strutting threateningly
before him. The sailors were not with
out anxiety lest the keen gaffs might
settle their eagle before he got warmed
up to his work, but fear was quickly
dispelled. The game-cOck dashed for
ward again. In less than a second the
Spaniards witnessed an astounding
sight. The "Amercan chicken" placid.
ly stretched out great claw, seized hi
antagonist by the head, drew him up
and, applying the other claw to hi
body tore his head off with a single
pull. Then he proceeded to eat him
A storm of imprecatiOns and shouts o
astonishment rent the air, but the sail
ors were too well armed and too numer
Gus for the Spaniards, and so they go
their money and returned aboard shil
laden with more gold than they eve
before had, and carrying their champion
in triumph.