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his rival。 And in the South； where 〃Pit〃 is often a two…syllable word； 〃Pee…it；〃 my timing was perfect。
〃Pit！〃 Mr。 Middleton announced； and before the word was out of his mouth Sandspur was in the air and halfway to Little David。 The cocks met in midair； both of them shuffling with blurred yellow feet； and then they dropped to the ground。 Neither cock had managed to get above the other。
With new respect for each other； the two birds circled； heads held low； watching each other warily。 Little David feinted cleverly with a short rush； but Sandspur wasn't fooled。 He held his ground； and Burke's cock retreated with his wings fluttering at the tips。
As he dropped back； Sandspur rose with a short flight and savagely hooked the gaff of his right leg into Little David's wing。 The point of the heel was banged solidly into the bone and Sandspur couldn't get it dislodged。 He pecked savagely at Little David's head； and hit the top of the downed cock's dubbed head hard with his bill open。 。 。 too hard。
The upper section of Sandspur's bill broke off cleanly at the doctored crack I had made。 A bubble of blood formed； and Sandspur stopped pecking。 Both cocks struggled to break away from each other； but the right spur was still stuck； and all Sandspur could do was hop up and down in place on his free leg。 I looked at Mr。 Middleton。
〃Handle！〃 the judge shouted。 〃Thirty seconds！〃
A moment later I disentangled the gaff from Little David's wing and retreated to my starting line。 I put Sandspur's head in my mouth and sucked the blood from his broken beak。 I licked the feathers of his head back into place and spat as much saliva as I could into his open mouth。 For the remaining seconds I had left I sucked life into his clipped b。 The b was much too pale。 。
〃Get ready！〃 I held Sandspur by the tail on the line。 〃Pit your cocks！〃
Instead of flying into the air； Sandspur circled for the right wall。 Little David turned in midair； landed running； and chased my cock into the far corner。 Sandspur turned to fight； and the cocks met head on； but my injured bird was forced back by the fierceness of Little David's rush。
On his back； Sandspur hit his opponent twice in the chest； drawing blood both times； and then Little David was above him in the air and cutting at his head with both spurs。 A sharp gaff entered Sandspur's right eye； and he died as the needle point pierced his central nervous system。 Little David strutted back and forth； pecked twice at my lifeless cock； and then crowed his victory。
〃The winner is Mr。 Burke's Ace；〃 Mr。 Middleton announced； as a formality。 〃Twenty…eight seconds in the second pitting。〃
All I had left was a folded ten…dollar bill in my watch pocket and one dead chicken。
2
There was a burial hole in the marshy ground； about four feet square and three feet deep； on the far side of the parking area。 Water was seeping visibly into the mucky pit； and the dead roosters in the bottom had begun to float。
I removed the gaffs from my dead cock's spurs and added his body to the floating pile of dead chickens。 As I put the heels away in my gaff case； Bill Sanders joined me at the edge of the munal burying pit。
〃I just wanted to let you know that I got all your dough down； Frank；〃 he said。 〃Every dollar at three…to…one； and there's nothing left。〃
I nodded。
〃Tough； Frank； but my money was riding on Sandspur with yours。〃
I shrugged and emptied the peat moss out of the aluminum coop into the hole on top of the dead chickens。
〃You're going to be all right； aren't you？ I mean； you'll be on the Southern Conference circuit this year； and all？〃
I nodded and shook hands with Sanders。 As I looked down at Bill's bald head； I noticed that the top was badly sunburned and starting to peel。 The little gambler never wore a hat。
〃Okay； Frank。 I'll probably see you in Biloxi。〃
I clapped Bill on the shoulder to squeeze out a farewell。 He went over to the blue Chrysler convertible and started talking to the blonde。 She had evidently recovered from her upset stomach。 She had remade her face； and she now listened with absorbed attention to whatever it was Bill Sanders was telling her。
I removed the bamboo handle from the aluminum coop； collapsed the sides； and made a fairly flat； pact square out of the six frames。 After locking them together with the clamps； I attached the handle again so I could carry the coop folded。 A machinist in Valdosta had made two of the traveling coops for me to my own specifications and design。 At one time I had considered having several made； and putting them up for sale to chicken men traveling around the country； too； but the construction costs were prohibitive to make any profit out of them。 My other traveling coop was at my farm in Ocala。
Carrying my gaff case and coop； I walked back to the trailer camp。 Dody met me at the door of the Love…LeeMobile Home with a bright； lopsided smile。 Her lipstick was on crooked； and there was too much rouge on her cheeks。 She wanted to look older； but makeup made her look younger instead。
〃Did you win； Frank？〃
I leaned the folded coop against the side of the trailer and pointed to it with a gesture of exasperation。
〃Oh！〃 she said。 Her red lips were fixed in a fat； crooked 〃O〃 for an instant。 〃I'm real sorry； Frank。〃
I placed my gaff case beside the coop and entered the trailer。 There was a dusty leather suitcase under the bed； and I wiped the scuffed surfaces clean with a dirty T…shirt I found on top of the built…in dresser。 I unstrapped the suitcase； opened it on the bed； and began to pack。 There wasn't too much to put into it。 Most of my clothes were on the farm。 I packed my clean underwear； two clean white shirts； and then searched the trailer for my dirty shirts。 I found them in a bucket of cold water beneath the sink。 Dody had been promising to wash and iron them for the past three days； but just like everything else； she hadn't gotten around to doing it。 I couldn't very well pack wet shirts in the suitcase on top of clean dry clothing； so I left the dirty shirts in the bucket。
In the tiny bathroom I gathered up my toilet articles and zipped them into a blue nylon Dropkit。 When I packed the Dropkit into the suitcase； Dody began to evidence an avid interest in my actions。
〃What are you packing for； Frank？〃 she asked。
Despite the fact that I had never said as much as a single word to her in the three weeks we had been living together； she persisted in asking questions that couldn't be answered by an affirmative nod； a negative waggle of my head； or an explanatory gesture of some kind。 If I had answered every foolish question she put to me in writing； I could have filled up two notebooks a day。
I tossed two pairs of clean blue jeans into the open suitcase； and then undressed as far as my shorts。 I pulled on a pair of gray…green corduroy trousers； and put on my best shirt； a black oxford cloth Western shirt with white pearl buttons。 The jodhpur boots I was wearing were black and fortable； and they were fastened with buckles and straps。 I had ordered them by mail from a bootmaker in El Paso； Texas； and had paid forty…five do