THE PHEASANT 
This morning however, for the first time in 
his life, he was very angry. He did not 
choose that any other bird should share the 
overlordship of this wood with him, and he 
meant to fight for it if need be. Twice he 
stopped and crowed, and each time the cock 
flung the answer back haughtily from the 
yard. Finally he took wing, and skimming 
down the woodside, wheeled in among the 
trees at the back of the farm. There he 
caught a glimpse of yellow feathers lurking 
under a bramble brake, and, with a recollection 
of his companion of the day before, he alighted 
with a flourish and crowed again. He had 
scarcely folded his wings to his liking before 
a big red cock appeared in the gateway which 
led from the farm-yard to the wood. 
The " Chickery-Cock " of Tonsella was a 
notable bird. There were fifteen hens in the 
yard, not counting the last-hatched chickens, 
and they all belonged to him. So did the 
yard itself, and also the Connell family, who 
lived in the low thatched house which opened 
on to the yard, and into which he led his hens 
on foraging excursions every day. The 
" Chickery-Cock " was the only bird in the 
yard who had a name to himself. The others 
were: "the Yeller-Pullet o' Widdy Brady's" 
or " thim white hins o' Comerford's clutch," 
M 177 
