WILD LIFE ON THE WING 
kery-Cock," albeit huskily, crowed that the 
first round scored to himself. 
He had better have kept his breath. Creaban 
was upon him again almost before he stood on 
guard and, taking him by surprise, bored htm 
up against a bramble-bush where he could not 
give his spurs fair play. But the " Chickery- 
Cock " was both cunning and nimble for so 
heavy a bird. He slipped aside, and though 
Creaban drove savagely at him as he turned, 
he was so thickly feathered that the blow 
glanced harmlessly off his spangled scapulars. 
That was the end of round two, and the 
advantage so far lay with the Pheasant ; 
but he lost anything which he might have 
gained in the next, for he rushed in rashly, 
and was met by a kick which knocked his 
breath away. 
So the duel went on with alternate bouts of 
fierce encounter and gasping armistice. In his 
duels with the cocks in the valley, Creaban 
had perfected one efficient method of attack. 
Could he but once fasten his bill on to those 
pendulous wattles he would have his antagonist 
at his mercy. But the " Chickery-Cock" re- 
membered the drubbing which he had received 
in the yard last month. He constantly ibroke 
away out of reach, never allowing his antago- 
nist to make good his hold, and by running in 
196 
