124 GAME FOWLS. 



were of the very glossiest red, and appeared to be the only ones 

 which were left untouched ; the tail was docked triangle- ways, like a 

 hunter's. The gallant bird clucked defiance, and looked as if "he had 

 in him something dangerous ! " Nash gave him to Fleming, who held 

 him up above his head, examined his beak, his wings, his legs, while 

 a person read to him a description of the bird from paper ; and, upon 

 finding all correct, he delivered the rich, feathered warrior back to 

 Nash, and proceeded to produce his own bird for a similar examination. 



But I must speak of the senior Nash, the old man, the feeder. 

 When again may I have an opportunity of describing him? and what 

 ought a paper upon cocking be accounted worth, if it fail to contain 

 some sketch, however slight, of old Nash ? He wore a smock-frock, 

 and was clumsily, though potently built, his shoulders being ample, 

 and of a rotundity resembling a wool-pack ; his legs were not equal 

 to his bulk ; he was unconversational, almost to a fault, and never 

 made even the slightest remark that did not appertain to cocks or 

 cocking ; his narrow, damp, colorless eye, twinkled a cold satisfaction 

 when a bird of promise made good work on the mat and sometimes, 

 though seldom, he was elevated into the proffer of a moderate bet ; but 

 generally he leaned over the rails of a small gallery, running parallel 

 with the coop, and stooping attentively towards the pit, watched the 

 progress of the battle. I remarked he was extremely like a cock old 

 Nash's beaked nose, drawn close down, over his mouth ; his red forehead 

 and gills ; his round body ; and blue thin legs ; and his silver-grey, 

 scanty, feathery hair lying like a plume all over his head, all proved him 

 cock-like. This man, thought I, has been cooped up in pens, or penned 

 up in coops, until he has become shaped, colored, mannered, like the 

 bird he has been feeding. I should scarcely have been surprised, if told 

 that old Nash crowed when the light first dawned of a summer's morn- 

 ing. I warrant he pecked bread and milk to some tune, and, perhaps, 

 slept upon a perch ! But Fleming lifted his bird from the bag, and my 

 whole mind was directed his way. This was a yellow-bodied, 

 black-winged handsome, cock, seemingly rather slight, but elastic and 

 muscular; he was restless at the sight of his antagonist, but quite 

 silent ; and old Nash examined him most carefully by the paper, and 

 delivered it up to Fleming, upon finding him answer to his description. 

 The setters-te then smoothed their birds and handled them, wetted 

 their fingers, and moistened their bandaged ankles, where the spurs 

 were fastened, held them up opposite to each other, and then pam- 

 pered their courage, and prepared them for combat. 



The mat was cleared of all persons except Fleming and young 

 Nash ; the betting went on vociferously ; the setters-to taunted the 

 birds with each other's presence allowed them to strike at each 

 other at a distance put them on the mat facing each other encour- 

 aged and fed their crowing and mantling, until they were nearly 

 dangerous to hold, and then loosened them against each other, for the 

 fatal fight. 



The first terrific dart into attitude, was, indeed strikingly grand 

 and beautiful ; and the wary sparring, watching, dodging for the first 

 cut, was extremely curious. They were beak-point to beak-point, 

 until they dashed up into one tremendous flirt, mingling their power- 



