THE IJFE OF A SPORTSMAN 



whereas those from a mother and son have stood to be killed 

 by inches. 



' Perhaps the best proof* of the difficulties of trainin^^ cocks 

 to tight is to be found in the very few persons who have 

 excelled in this branch of their art. Who would believe it 

 possible that, although a feeder should be able to get a pen of 

 cocks fit to fight for two successive days, he should not be able 

 to have them tit to fight on the third, and yet his competitor 

 on the sod shall be able to do so ? This, however, is a very 

 common case. In fact, the whole system of feeding cocks to 

 fight, reducing or increasing their vigour, is one of con.sammatc 

 art, and one with which that of training the race-horse can 

 bear no comparison as to the difficulty of it. Then, again, 

 what a true picture of life is a cockpit ! Depend upon it, 

 Frank Raby, you will never have seen human nature fully and 

 faithfully displayed in the rough, until you shall have seen it 

 in a cockpit, at such places as Chester, Manchester — in short, 

 anywhere bordering on the north. Amongst noblemen and 

 gentlemen of the highest character and respectability, and who 

 have made cocking their pursuit through life, you will see men 

 of the coarsest exterior, and the meanest garb, outwitting them 

 by odds in their judgment in selecting the winners before the 

 battles commence, and exhibiting indescribable acuteness in 

 discovering injuries afterwards, which, of course, they turn to 

 account before many of their superiors are aware of them. 

 This extreme quickness of sight, by which what is called a 

 "cut throat" is discovered previously to its effects hecoiniiuj 

 visible, is scarcely to be expected from a heavy and dull-lookino- 

 mechanic — perhaps a blacksmith, or a collier, who may have 

 walked fifty miles to the pit — but such is often the case, and, 

 of course, he reaps his reward by iminediately backing the 

 other cock.' 



' What do you mean by a " cut throat " ? I never saw a cock's 

 throat cut in fighting.' 



' Nor I neither. It is a body blow, but, having wounded a 

 vital part, is so called from the fact of the blood soon findinf>' 

 its way into the throat, and thence ejected by the mouth, con- 

 sequently impeding respiration. Cocks in very It iyh condition 

 will occasionally " throw it off," as the term is, and go on ; but 

 it generally betokens a speedy termination of the battle. The 

 setting or handling of the cocks is also a veiy difficult art : in 



97 "^ G ' 



