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ded him。 As the old couple turned away from us to lead the way into the dining room； Omar shrugged his shoulders helplessly； and winked at me。 I grinned and nodded my head。 Actually； my partner had shown considerable restraint。 The senator had been correct in everything he said。 If Omar had tried to argue with him； the old man would have cut him to shreds。
Except for Omar and myself； the guests seated around the dinner table were a rather eccentric group。 I had known most of them for years； but even to me it seemed like an unusual gathering of people。 All of us wore our entry numbers on the backs of our coats。 We needed these numbers in the pit as identification for the benefit of the spectators。 But we also had to wear them at all times for Senator Foxhall。 He knew our names； and he knew them well； but sometimes he had a tendency to forget them。 When he did forget； he checked his typewritten list of entries against our numbers so he could address any one of us by name without embarrassment。
Senator Foxhall sat at the head of the long table； and Mrs。 Pierce was seated at the opposite end。 Ed Middleton and Peach Owen were seated on either side of the senator。 Next to Ed was Buddy Waggoner； the second referee； who would preside over the drag pit。
By their entry numbers； the remaining guests were seated around the table； clockwise from Buddy Waggoner。
No。 1。 Johnny McCoy and Colonel Bob Moore； USAF （Retired）。 Johnny McCoy and his partner； Colonel Bob； flew to meets all over the U。S。 from their fifty…thousand…acre ranch near Dan's Derrick； Texas； in a Lear jet。 Colonel Bob； although he had been retired for at least ten years； still wore his Air Force blue uniform at all times。 Only two days before； this Texas partnership had fought in the Northwest Cockfighting Tourney in Seattle； Washington。 From there； they had flown back to Dan's Derrick and picked up fresh； newly conditioned gamecocks。 They then had flown in to Macon。 The senator's limousine and private game…fowl trailer had brought them from Macon to Mifiedgeville。
No。 2。 Pete Chocolate； Pahokee； Florida。 Except for the senator； Pete Chocolate was the only male guest wearing dinner clothes。 He had spoiled the effect； however； by wearing a blue…and…white T…shirt under his black tuxedo jacket。 And around his neck he wore an immaculate creamcolored ascot scarf。
No。 3。 Dirty Jacques Bonin； Bioxi； Mississippi。 There was nothing 〃dirty〃 about Jacques Bonin's appearance。 His suit was flawlessly tailored； and his spatulate nails were freshly manicured。 Clean shaven and soberly attired； he looked like； and was； a church deacon。 He had earned the appellation of Dirty Jacques during World War II when he had organized the gang of strikebreakers who killed or maimed eighty striking long…shoremen on the Mobile docks。 He had never lived the name down； although his full…time occupation was now the breeding and fighting of Louisiana Mugs。
No。 4。 Jack Burke。 Dody sat beside her husband； and I sat next to her…one of Mrs。 Pierce's ideas。 Dody spoke to me once； and only once； during dinner。
〃Jack told me to apologize for kicking you at Plant City；〃 she whispered。
I waited politely for her to continue； but that was all she said。
Jack Burke also spoke to me during dinner； leaning forward in his chair and twisting his head in my direction。
〃Let's make it an even thousand bet between Little David and your chicken； Frank。 I've okayed it with Ed and Peach to have the hack immediately after the last tourney fight while the judges tote up the final scores。 All right？〃
When I nodded in agreement； he sat back in his chair。
No。 5。 The English…Polish team of Mansfield and Baradinsky。
No。 6。 Roy Whipple and his son； Roy； Jr。 Mr。 Whipple was the old cockfighter who had shared the velvet love seat with me in the bridal suite of the Southerner Hotel in Chattanooga。 He had lost a bundle in the holdup； but it hadn't dented his bankroll。 The old man owned three Asheville； North Carolina； resort hotels。 Roy； Jr。； was a senior at the University of North Carolina； Chapel Hill； and had obtained special permission from the dean of men to assist his father at the meet。
No。 7。 Baldy Allen； of Columbus； Georgia； was the owner of several liquor stores。 Breeding and fighting milk…white Doms was not only a sideline for Baldy； it was a profitable enterprise。 His gregarious wife； Jean Ellen； who did his betting for him； acpanied Baldy everywhere。
No。 8。 Johnny Norris； Birmingham； Alabama。 Johnny was famous as a conditioner of game fowl； but I didn't consider him a first…rate handler。 For fifteen years he had conditioned cocks for the late Ironclaw Burnstead。 When Mr。 Burnstead died； he left Johnny three hundred thousand in cash and his entire flock of game fowl。 In the past three years； Johnny had gained a reputation as an all…around cocker； and this was his first entry in the S。C。 Tourney。
During dinner； I listened attentively to the conversation。 All I heard was 〃chicken talk。〃 The only subject that any of us had in mon was cockfighting； and the love of cockfighting was the distinguishing feature of every entry。 Every man present had the game fowl； the knowledge； the ability and the determination to win the tourney； but only one of us could win。
I intended to be that one。
16
Out of long habit more than anything else； I drank a quick cup of coffee in the dining room the next morning and was in the cockhouse by five thirty。 Gamecocks cooped for long periods in a small two…by…two stall have a tendency to get sleepy and bored。 Too much lassitude makes a cock sluggish when pitted。 To wake them up； I took each cock out of its coop and washed its head with a damp sponge dipped in cheap whiskey。 By the time I finished the sponging at seven thirty； our gamecocks were skipping up and down inside their stalls with rejuvenated animation and crowing and clucking with happiness。
Omar joined me at eight； and a few minutes later Doc Riordan showed up at the cockhouse to wish me luck in the tourney。 The pharmacist and my partner hit it off well together from the moment they met。
〃I never miss the Southern Conference Tourney；〃 Doc told Omar； 〃but all season long I've been chained to my desk。 I'm the president of the Dixie Pharmaceutical pany； as Frank may have told you； and this year our firm is launching a new product。〃 He reached into his coat pocket and handed Omar a small white packet。 〃Licarbo！〃 he said proudly。 〃Advertising is our biggest headache； although the raising of capital isn't the simple matter it used to be：；
〃Who handles your advertising？〃 Omar asked； tearing open the sample and cautiously tasting the product with the tip of his tongue。
〃Unfortunately' Doc sighed； 〃I have to handle it myself。 That's been my main trouble。 But I'm a registered pharmacist； and most of the drugstores in Jax have allowed me to put my posters in their windows。〃
〃I think you've got a good idea here in Licarbo；〃 Omar said sincerely。 〃After the tourney I won't have too much to do until April； and maybe you and I can get together on this product。 I used to be in advertising in New York。 Perhaps Frank told you？〃