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writing it down； and I didn't feel that it required an answer。 Where I was going or what I was going to do couldn't possibly have any real interest for the old lady。
〃Frank can't answer questions like that without writing them down；〃 Ed reminded his wife。 〃But you know we'll be reading about him in the trade magazines。〃
〃Well； I'll pack a lunch for you anyway。 Wait out on the patio。 Take some more coffee out there with you。 It'll only take a minute and you can surely wait that long。〃
While she fixed a lunch for me； I repacked my suitcase and took it out to the car。 Ed unlocked the door； and I removed the coop and handed it to him before I tossed the suitcase on the floorboards。
〃Sure； leave the coop with me if you like；〃 he said； leaning it against the concrete wall。
When I returned for Icky； I could use the coop to carry him； and I didn't feel like lugging it along to Jacksonville； not hitchhiking； anyway。
A few minutes later Martha joined us on the patio and handed me a heavy paper bag containing my lunch。
〃I used the biscuits left from breakfast；〃 she said； 〃and made a few ham sandwiches。 There's a fat slice of tomato on each one and plenty of mayonnaise。 There wasn't any pie left； but I put in a couple of apples for dessert。〃
Rather than simply shake hands with her； I put an arm around her narrow shoulders and kissed her on the cheek。 Mrs。 Middleton broke away from me and returned to the safety of her kitchen。 Ed called through the door that he would be back from Orlando when he got back。
We drove down Ed's private road to the highway。 I didn't know where he was taking me； but I hoped he wouldn't drop me off in the center of town。 With the baggage I was carrying； the best place to start hitchhiking was on the I…4 Throughway on the other side of Winter Park。 Several years had passed since I had been forced to use my thumb； and I wasn't too happy about the prospect。
Orlando is a fairly large city and well spread out。 The streets that morning were crowded with traffic。 Ed drove his big car skillfully； and when he hit the center of town； he made several turns and then stopped in front of the Greyhound bus station。 I took my baggage out of the back and started to close the door； but held it open when Ed heaved himself across the seat。 He got out on my side； reached in his wallet； and handed me a twenty…dollar bill。
〃You can't hitchhike with all that stuff； Frank。 You'd better take a bus。〃
I nodded； accepted the bill and buttoned it into my shirt pocket。 That made five hundred and twenty dollars I owed him； but I was grateful for the loan。
We shook hands rather formally； and Ed plucked at his white chin with his puffy fingers。 〃Now don't worry about Icarus； Frank；〃 he said with an attempt at levity。 〃I'll take good care of him whether you e back for him or not。〃 His eyes were worried just the same。
I held up two spread fingers in the 〃V〃 sign。 It was a meaningless gesture in this instance； but Ed smiled； thinking I meant it for him。 I remained at the curb and waved to him as he drove away。
I picked a folder out of the rack； circled Jacksonville on the timetable with my ballpoint pencil； shoved the folder and my twenty under the wicket； and paid for my ticket。 After slipping the ticket into my hatband； I gathered my baggage around me and sat down on a bench to wait for the bus。
I thought about Icky。 In reality； five hundred dollars wasn't even enough money to get started。 I needed a bare minimum of one thousand； five hundred dollars to have at least a thousand left over after paying for the cock。 Two thousand was more like it。
Somehow； I had to get my hands on this money。
5
I didn't arrive in Jacksonville until a little after three that afternoon。 Instead of waiting for an express； I had taken the first bus that left Orlando； and it turned out to be the kind that stops at every filling station； general store and cow pasture along the way。 A long； dull ride。
After getting my baggage out of the side of the bus from the driver I left the station and walked three blocks to the Jeff Davis Hotel； where I always stayed when I was in Jax。 On the way to the hotel I stopped at a package store and bought a pint of gin。
Perhaps the Jeff Davis isn't the most desirable hotel in Jax； but it is downtown； handy to everything； the people know me there； and crowded or not I can always get a room。 The manager follows cockfighting； advertises in the game…fowl magazines； and there is usually someone hanging around the lobby who knows me。 The daily rate is attractive； as well…only three dollars a day for cockers； instead of the regular rate of five。
As soon as I checked in at the desk and got to my room； I opened my suitcase and dug out my corduroy coat。 In September； Jacksonville turns chilly in the afternoons； and the temperature drops below seventy。 Not that it gets cold； but the weather doesn't pare favorably with southern Florida。 The long pull of gin I took before going out on the street again felt warm in my stomach。
I walked briskly through the streets to the post office； entered； and twirled the bination dial on my post…office box。 It didn't open； but I could see that there was mail inside the box through the dirty brown glass window。 I searched through my wallet； found my box receipt for the rental； and shoved it through the window to the clerk。 He studied the slip for a moment； and called my attention to the date。
〃You're almost ten days overdue on your quarterly box payment； Mr。 Mansfield；〃 he said。 〃Your box was closed out and rented to somebody else。 I'm sorry； but there's a big demand for boxes these days and I don't have any more open at present。 If you want me to； I'll put your name on the waiting list。〃
I shook my head； pointed to the rack of mail behind him。 This puzzled him for a moment； and then he said： 〃Oh； you mean your mail？〃
I nodded impatiently； drumming my fingers on the marble ledge。
〃If you have any； it'll be at the general…delivery window。〃
I picked up my receipt and gave it to the woman at the general…delivery window。 She handed me two letters and my current Southern Cockfighter magazine。 I shoved the letters and magazine into my coat pocket and filled in change…of…address cards to transfer the magazine and postoffice…box letters to my Ocala address。 After mailing one card to the magazine and turning in the other to the woman at the window I returned to my hotel room。
The first letter I opened was from a pit operator in Tallahassee inviting me to enter a four…cock derby he was holding in November。 I tossed the letter into the wastebasket。 The other letter was the oneS I had been expecting。 It was from the Southern Conference Tournament mittee； and contained my invitation； the rules； and the schedule for the S。C。T。 season。
I studied the mimeographed schedule； but I wasn't too happy about it。 There wasn't a whole lot of time to obtain and keep gamecocks for the tourney。
SCHEDULE
SOUTHERN CONFERENCE
Oct。 15…Greenville； Mississippi
Nov。 10…Tifton； Georgia
Nov 30…Plant City； Florida
Dec。 15…Chattanooga； Tennessee