THRASHED, BUT DEFIANT. 41 



him and endeavour to seize that jaw in his 

 mouth. And woe betide him when that hold 

 was got ; it was the grip of a bulldog it 

 seemed as if nothing but death would un- 

 loose that grip. 



They were equally matched as to numbers, 

 and the battle raged long and furiously ; 

 nearly every bird got hooked by the jaw in 

 this way, and the great struggle was to tug 

 themselves free. 



So far as I could see, they used no other 

 weapon ; they made no attempt to strike 

 with their wings or their legs. " When Turk 

 meets Turk then comes the tug of war," and 

 for a long time victory hung in an equal 

 balance ; when all of a sudden the invaders 

 threw up the sponge, turned tail, and beat a 

 dignified, slow retreat. 



The conquerors had seemingly had enough 

 of it, for they did not pursue the vanquished ; 

 they allowed them "bag and baggage" to 

 pass in single file through the glat by which 

 they had entered, and I don't think they will 

 soon return. 



Chanticleer, it is said, never makes more 

 noise than " quand il est bien battu," a re- 

 mark equally true of that thoroughly-thrashed, 

 but still defiant, turkey-cock ; for no sooner 

 has he got back to his own domain than " he 



