按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！
I put the battered Meilhorn away； and while Omar held； I finished heeling the Roundhead。 We made it to the weighing scales with two minutes to spare。 During the long drag battle with Pete； three fights had been held in the main pit。
From the word 〃Pit！〃 my Allen Roundhead lasted exactly twenty…five seconds with the Whipple cock before it was cut down in midair and killed。
The fighting was just as fast for the rest of the morning。 If I didn't lose during the first three or four pittings I usually won the battle。 My tough； relentless conditioning methods paid off with stamina。 In a long go； my rock…hard gamecocks invariably outlasted their opponents。 Every fight at Milledgeville was a battle between two Aces； however； and during the first three to five pittings； when both cocks were daisy fresh； it was anybody's fight。 At one p。m。； when a one…hour break for lunch was called； I had lost two and won three。
Omar and I left the pit together； planning to eat at the senator's house rather than wait for service in the crowded restaurant。 As we left by the side entrance； a parking attendant came running over and caught up with us。
〃Mr。 Mansfield； there's a lady down in the lot who asked me to find you。〃
〃Shall I go with you； Frank？〃 Omar said。
I nodded； and we followed the attendant into the parking lot。
It was Bernice Hungerford。 As we approached her car； she got out； slammed the door and waited。 Bernice looked much prettier than I remembered。 Either she wore a tight girdle； or she had lost fifteen pounds。 A perky； wheatstraw； off…the…face hat was perched atop a brand new permanent； and her dark hair gleamed with some kind of spray。 She wore a mustard…colored tweed suit； softened at the throat by a lemon…yellow silk scarf。 The air was chilly； but it wasn't cold enough for the full…length sheared beaver coat she held draped over her left arm。
When I accepted her white…gloved extended right hand； I noticed that it was trembling。
〃I had to send for you； Frank；〃 she apologized； lifting her face to be kissed。 I brushed her lips with mine； and she stepped back a pace； blushing like a girl。 〃I've been here for more than an hour；〃 she said with a shy laugh。 〃But when I went up to the entrance and saw all those men standing around…and no women…I was afraid to go inside！〃
〃You'll find a lot of ladies here； once you get inside； Miss…？〃
〃Mrs。 Hungerford；〃 Bernice said self…consciously。
〃Mrs。 Hungerford；〃 Omar said； 〃I'm Frank's partner； Omar Baradinsky。 And I'm glad the boy caught us in time。 We were just leaving for lunch； and now you can join us。〃
〃I feel better already。〃 Bernice smiled。 〃I started not to e； Frank。〃 She took my arm； and Omar relieved her of her heavy coat。 〃Tommy couldn't get away； and I dreaded ing by myself； but now 。 。 。 Mr。 Baradinsky；〃 she turned impulsively to Omar on her left。 〃Is there such a thing as a powder room around here？〃
Omar laughed。 〃If you can hold out for about five hundred more yards； Mrs。 Hungerford； you'll be made fortable at the house。〃
〃Thank you。 How do I look； Frank？ How does a lady dress for a cockfight？〃
〃A woman as beautiful as you；〃 Omar said； 〃could wear sackcloth and still look like a queen。〃
〃Now I do feel better！〃 Bernice laughed gaily。 〃What does one do at a cockfight？〃
〃At first； I'd advise you to merely watch。 But if you decide to place a wager； let me know。 Frank and I will be busy； but one of us wifi look after you when we're free。〃
Thanks to my partner； the luncheon was a success。 He was gracious and paternal toward Bernice； without being patronizing； and before we returned to the pit； she was no longer ill at ease or prattling with nervousness。 When the fighting began； I rarely sat with her。 Most of Omar's time was taken up with the placing of bets； payoffs and collections； but he joined her as often as he could。
There was another one…hour break at seven； and then the fights were to continue until midnight。 According to the schedule…if everything went according to plan…the tourney would be pleted by three p。m。 the following afternoon。 After the prizes and purses were awarded； the senator always held a free barbecue for everybody on the parklike lawn between his house and the cockpit。
We ate dinner； all three of us； in the restaurant。 After dinner； Bernice begged off as a spectator from the evening fights。 She was tired and bored from watching them。 Without a basic understanding or knowledge of what to look for； Bernice's boredom was not unreasonable。 Women rarely find cockfighting as exciting as men do。
Although I missed her friendly white…gloved wave and cheery cry of 〃Good luck〃 each time I entered the pit； I wasn't sorry to send her to the hotel in town。 She promised to meet us at noon the following day； and I was relieved that I didn't have to entertain her until then。
The night fighting got bungled up。
There were two forfeits in the 5：12 weights； when Dirty Jacques Bonin and Jack Burke weren't heeled and ready on time； plus long technical arguments on both sides。 To return to the cockpit after heeling； it was necessary to cross through the parking lot。 Jack Burke claimed…and I think he had a reasonable point…that automobiles leaving the area after the ten…thirty fight had held him up。 He failed to see why he should be penalized for a parking attendant's failure to control the traffic properly。 Peach Owen brought out the rules and read them aloud。 The rules stated clearly that the handler was to be ready for pitting within fifteen minutes after receiving his weight slip。 No provisions had been written concerning interference； so Jack forfeited the fight after being promised by Peach Owen that this provision would be discussed by the S。C。T。 mittee before the next season。
Due to these delays； it was after one o'clock before Omar and I got back to our room in the mansion。 I had lost four fights out of twelve； but my partner； who had placed shrewd bets on every match held during the day； had added two thousand； eight hundred dollars to our bankroll。
〃Are we going to win the tourney； Frank？〃 Omar said； as we undressed for bed。
Down to my underwear； I sat on the edge of my bed and checked over the official scorecard。 Jack Burke； Roy Whippie and Johnny Norris were ahead of us； but they weren't so far ahead that we couldn't catch up with them the next day。 I drew a large question mark on the blank side of the scorecard； sailed the square of cardboard in Omar's general direction and got wearily into bed。 With a full day of fighting to go； the top three could just as easily be the bottom three when the points were tallied at the end of the meet。
Before Omar finished counting and stacking the money into neat piles on top of the dresser and switched off the overhead chandelier； I was sound asleep。
The next morning at eleven…during my third match of the second day…soft…spoken Johnny Norris was no longer a contender。 His name was stricken from the lists； and he was barred forever from Southern Conference petition for ungentlemanly conduct。
At most southern pits； the sidewalls are constructed of wood； but the sunken pit at Mill