IN SUMATRA. 189 



other by the gutangs, who ruffled for them their neck fea- 

 thers, tugged their combs, patted them on the breast and sides, 

 and shook them with a tremulous sort of instigating motion, 

 performed with a knack and neatness which indicated the pro- 

 fessional hand. This manoeuvre whose execution is the envy 

 of onlookers, is imitated by the children in the miniature 

 cockerel fights that they get up before they are old enough to 

 speak. When the fowls had been thus irritated they were 

 allowed, while still in the hand, to have one dig at each other 

 just to put them on their mettle, and with their terrible 

 armatures bared, they were set facing each other, a few feet 

 apart ; and then came the charge. I shall never forget — for I 

 was utterly unprepared for it from the stolid Malay — the yell 

 and deafening shout of savage delight and excitement that 

 arose from the up to that moment mute and eager but, to all 

 appearance, unexcited crowd as the combatants rushed at each 

 other, and which was kept up all the time the conflict lasted ; 

 nor how the gulangs, following on hands and knees, each close 

 behind his fowl, watched each movement in silence with a 

 glaring and excited eye — the rules of the ring prohibiting them 

 from touching or reinstigating the cock during the continu- 

 ance of a round — like nothing I can think of so much as the 

 intense motions of a pointer close behind a warm scent, and 

 at every onset they scanned their bird from side to side to see 

 if it had sustained any injury. In the first combat that I 

 witnessed both cocks were badly wounded in the first round ; 

 one even fainted away. The seconds and supporters carried 

 each their bird aside to apply restoratives, if possibly they 

 mi"'ht be able to continue the contest to a final issue. They 

 bathed its head with cold water and administered some with a 

 feather down its throat ; a cloth was held over it to keep off the 

 sun, and smoking pieces of wood held under its nostrils and 

 over its comb. For a time it seemed as if the worst wounded 

 would have to be declared vanquished, as it was unable to 

 enter the lists, but his spirit came again on instigating him 

 with a strange cock for a few minutes. After the same 

 preliminary patting and facing and the solitary dig, they 

 were again allowed to rush at each other ; but after a few 

 skirmishes the badly wounded bird turned tail and was 

 declared the loser. In the second of the only two fights I ever 

 14 



