160 THE WILD TURKEY AND ITS HUNTING 



fight ensues, in which two become engaged, while 

 the more peaceful or timid quickly leave the 

 vicinity. The gladiators then begin a tug of 

 war, and after a few blows and jams with wings 

 and spurs, one seizes another by the loose skin 

 of the head, which is very limp, affording an ex- 

 cellent hold; then No. 2 gets his opponent by the 

 nape of the neck, and they pull, push, and shove, 

 standing on tiptoes, prancing and hauling away, 

 each endeavoring to stretch his neck as high as 

 possible, as if determined to pull the other's head 

 off, while both necks are twisted around each 

 other, their wattles aglow with the red sign of 

 anger, while their hazel eyes sparkle with wrath. 

 They writhe, twist, and haul away, until perhaps 

 a quarter of an acre of earth is trampled, and 

 keep it up until the foolish combat ends from 

 sheer exhaustion, when one of them runs away. 

 The victor, if not too much used up, having 

 recovered breath and strength, will set up a gob- 

 bling and strutting that will cause the leaves of 

 the trees to tremble. He thus proclaims his 

 victory and assumes the role of monarch of all 

 he surveys. 



