195 



chalks are busily employed to mark each properly 

 delivered strophe, and keep pace with each other for a 

 time, until Bobby takes it into his head to betake him- 

 self to his food-trough. 



Meanwhile the Roarer continues steadily to pour 

 out his heart and gains considerably in chalk marks. 

 Costermonger Joe is getting very uneasy, and cannot 

 understand this new trick of his much-renowned bird. 

 Never before did he think of food while in the presence 

 of an opponent. In order to draw his bird's attention 

 upon himself and from the food-trough, lie moves 

 uneasily in his seat, and ventures at last to cough aloud. 



It must be understood that, while a match is pro- 

 ceeding, no words of encouragement are allowed, no 

 whistling or other means may be resorted to in order to 

 recall a truant to his duty. Fair play is rigorously 

 enforced. 



At last Joe can stand it no longer ; accide?itally his 

 beer-glass gets knocked over, and falls on the floor with 

 much clatter. Bobb}- peers across the room to ascertain 

 the cause of the unusual disturbance and catches sight 

 of his master, and immediately he resumes his battle-cry. 

 The ruse has succeeded, although there is a tumbler to 

 pay for. 



The chalk marks on the table are getting very 

 numerous. The Roarer has challenged without a fault 

 for thirteen minutes, and is forty points ahead of Bobby, 

 but now he feels rather dry ; he stops working, takes 

 a drink of water and — hops to the food-box. But 

 Kingsland Bill does not give his bird time to lose ground 

 by feeding, in the same way that the other had done. 

 In a moment he produces the brightly-coloured neck- 

 kerchief the Roarer knows so well, and pretends to wipe 

 the perspiration from his anxious brow. His finch takes 

 the hint and gallops through the remaining two minutes 

 of the appointed fifteen in grand style. Bobby also had 

 tried hard to make up for the precious time he had lost 

 so wantonly, but could not recover all of it. Although 



