Arnaux 
interference. He separated the fighters, then 
shut the Blue cock up in a coop, determined to. 
get rid of him in some way. Meanwhile the 
“Any Age Sweepstakes” handicap from Chi- 
cago to New York was on, a race of nine 
hundred miles. Arnaux had been entered six 
months before. His forfeit-money was up, and 
notwithstanding his domestic complications, 
his friends felt that he must not fail to appear. 
The birds were sent by train to Chicago, to 
be liberated at intervals there according to their 
handicap, and last of the start was Arnaux. 
They lost no time, and outside of Chicago several 
of these prime Flyers joined by common impulse 
into a racing flock that went through air on the 
same invisible track. A Homer may make a 
straight line when following his general sense 
of direction, but when following a familiar back 
track he sticks to the well-remembered land- 
marks. Most of the birds had been trained by 
way of Columbus and Buffalo. Arnaux knew 
the Columbus route, but also he knew that by De- 
troit, and after leaving Lake Michigan, he took 
the straight line for Detroit. Thus he caught 
up on his handicap and had the advantage of 
OF, 
