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 “ 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, he

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


It must be understood, that while a match is proceeding

no words of encouragement are allowed ; no whistling or other

means may be resorted to, to recall a truant to his duty. Fair

play is rigorously enforced. Coughing cannot be stopped.


At last, Joe can stand it no longer: accidentally his beer

glass gets knocked over and falls on the floor with much clatter.

Bobby 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 tables 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 like the other. In a moment he

whips out the brightly-colored handkerchief 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

credited with 212 marks, the Roarer beat him by 28 strokes.


Immediately protest is entered by Costermonger Joe, fair

play having been violated by the use of the coloured cloth. Bill

retorts by calling into question the fairness of the beer glass

episode. One word leads to another, the spectators mingle in

the strife, expressions of opinion and S3unpathy with either party

are getting more and more select, and battle of another kind

seems imminent. Joseph declares he has won, but Tong

William insists on “fighting” him for the stakes. This mode

of settling the question being declined by Joe, the landlord is

called upon to exercise his functions of umpire. With character¬

istic disinterestedness he declares the whole match null and void,

and orders a fresh match to be sung for the same stakes that

day week and on the same spot.



