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Old Roy Whipple； sitting beside me on the love seat； spat a stream of black tobacco juice onto the nylon carpet and then cleared his throat。 〃Where're we goin' to put the dead chickens； Mr。 Reed？〃
〃That's an excellent question； Mr。 Whipple；〃 Reed replied pompously。 〃I'm glad you asked it。 The dead cocks wifi be stacked in the bathtub。 Are there any other questions？〃
〃Yes； sir。 I have one；〃 Johnny Norris said politely。 〃The action wifi be slowed down considerably； won't it； if we have to bring the cocks up from the basement before every fight？ It'll take forever to finish the derby。 And what do we use for a drag pit？〃
〃That's another good question； Mr。 Norris；〃 Reed replied； with the deference in his voice that Johnny Norris usually received。 〃But these matters have all been taken into account。 Except for the traveling pit； the rest of the furniture in here will be removed； and folding chairs wifi be set up。 You'll heel the cocks in the bedroom； and the weights'll be announced far enough in advance so that there'll always be another pair waiting to pit。 There's another connecting door through the bedroom to the next suite…the V。I。P。 suite； the hotel calls it…and the living room of the next suite'll be used as a drag pit。 With two referees； I can assure you； gentlemen； that the fighting wifi be as fast here as anywhere else。 Are there any more questions； anything at all？〃
There were no more questions。
〃All right then； gentlemen。 The fighting starts at ten a。m。 tomorrow morning。 Mimeographed schedules will be run off tonight and wifi be slipped under the doors to your rooms。 If you'll all give me a list of your weights； I'll get started on the matching right away。 By the way； gentlemen； if you don't want to dress up for dinner； you can have your meals served in your rooms。 Otherwise； the hotel's got a rule about wearing coats and ties in the dining room。 Your meals have been paid for； too； including tips。〃
Discussions began among the other cockfighters； and they started to work on their weight lists。 I caught Omar's eye and jerked my head for him to follow me out into the hall。 When Omar joined me in the corridor； I led the way to our room。 I wrote a short note to my partner on a sheet of hotel stationery：
No good； partner。 Deputies understand agrarian people and cockfighters； but city cops have a bad habit of not staying bought。 There'll be a lot of drinking and a lot of money changing hands。 That means women present and women mean trouble。 We've got thirty of our best cocks in the basement and a confiscation raid would ruin us for the season。 Get our entry fee back from Mr。 Reed。
Omar read the note and then stared at me morosely with his large brown eyes。 The corners of his mouth were probably turned down as well； but I couldn't see his mouth beneath his heavy moustache。 〃Damn it； Frank；〃 he said； 〃I'm inclined to go along with you； but we'll be passing up a whole lot of easy money。 Fred Reed told me personally that there were two big…money gamblers flying in from Nashville tonight； and we get fat。 Really fat！ The only entry we really have to worry about is Johnny Norris from Birmingham。〃
I took the note out of his hands and ran a double line under every word in it to emphasize the meaning； and passed it back。
〃I'm with you； all right。 Don't worry；〃 he said earnestly。 〃But don't forget those eight cocks we selected to enter。 They're trimmed mighty fine。 If we don't fight them tomorrow they're likely to go under hack。〃
I nodded； thinking about the problem。
If we didn't fight our eight conditioned gamecocks； we would have to put them back on a regular maintenance diet and then recondition them all over again for the January 10 Bioxi meet。 Even if they were reconditioned； they would be stale。 And stale； listless cocks aren't winners。
I opened my suitcase； remembering the four…cock derby scheduled at Cook's Hollow； Tennessee。 I flipped through the pages of my current Southern Cockfighter magazine until I found Vern Packard's advertisement for the meet。 As I recalled； the derby was scheduled for the next day； December 15； at the Cook's Hollow Game Club。 Vern Packard was a friend of mine； although I hadn't fought at his pit for more than four years。 I circled Vern's telephone number in the advertisement； and wrote on the margin of the magazine：
Call Packard。 We're too late for the derliy； but I can fight our cocks in post… and pre…derby hacks。 Vern 's a friend of mine。 You take the truck and the rest of the cocks on to Biloxi like we planned。
Omar； cheered considerably； laughed and said： 〃I'll buy that； Frank。 And raid or no raid； the idea of fighting cocks in a bridal suite doesn't appeal to me anyway。〃
Omar picked up the telephone and called Vern Packard。 As I thought； I was too late to enter Vern's derby； but there were only three entries instead of four； and Vern planned 〃feathering the pit〃 hacks as well as post…derby hacks。 He was happy to have me； and told Omar that he would put me up in his spare bedroom and have some coops readied for my eight cocks。
While Omar looked for Fred Reed to get our entry money back； I packed both our bags。 Ordinarily； we would have had to forfeit the two hundred dollars we put up； because we had already signed the contracts and mailed them in from Ocala。 But we had contracted to fight at the Chattanooga Game Club； five miles out of the city； not in a hotel suite。 It was Fred Reed's hard luck that the sheriff had padlocked his pit； not ours。 I repacked our bags； and by the time Omar returned to the room we were ready to leave。
As we entered the elevator； Omar said： 〃Fred was mighty unhappy about our withdrawal； Frank。 We were the only entry to pull out。 He tried his damnedest to talk me out of it。 There's going to be a bar with free drinks and sandwiches all day； he said； which only proves that we're doing the right thing。 By one tomorrow afternoon that suite'll be so full of smoke and drunks you won't be able to see the chickens。〃
Although I couldn't have agreed with Omar more； I hated to leave。 There was something exciting about fighting cocks in a hotel and the prospect of winning large sums of money。 It's almost impossible to resist free drinks； and there would be some beautiful women around to spend some money on。 And when it es to good…looking women； Chattanooga has got prettier girls than Dallas； Texas。
I had written to Dirty Jacques Bonin in Bioxi and arranged a deal to put Omar and me and our gamecocks up at his game farm。 When he came to fight his chickens at the Ocala derby in February； we would fix him up with like facilities either at my place or Omar's。
We shook hands and parted in the basement garage of the hotel。 Omar headed for Bioxi in the pickup with twenty…two gamecocks； and I drove to Cook's Hollow with Icky and the derby…conditioned birds in the station wagon。
In the heat of the fighting the next day at Vern Packard's pit； I realized how much I had depended upon Omar to look after things during the season so far。 If Vern hadn't done a good portion of my talking for me； I would have had a rough time getting matches。 But thanks to Vern's efforts； I managed to fight five of my eight cocks； and I won every hack。 By picking the winning derby entry； and laying even money with a local gambler； I won four hundred dollars。 My five hack wins added two hundred and fifty dollars more to my roll； and I was well satisfied with the oute of the side trip to Cook's Hollow。 This was a small sum pared to what we might have won at Chattanooga； but it was enormous pared to winning nothing at all。
By four that afternoon the fighting was over； and I hadn't been able to get a match for Icky。 Icky scaled now at a steady 4：02 and was too light for derby fighting in the Southern Conference。 All of the S。C。 derby weights began at 5：00； and the only way I could fight Icky was in hack battles。 In New York and Pennsylvania； where the use of short heels is preferred and smaller gamecocks are favored； I could have had all the fights I wanted。 So far； Icky had only had two fights。 Before he met Jack Burke's Little David at Milledgeville； I wanted him to win at least three more。 He would need all of the pit experience he could get to win over Burke's Ace。
The Cook's Hollow Game Club was similar to a hundred other small southern cockpits。 The pit was on Vern Packard's rocky farm； adjacent to his barn； and covered with a corrugated iron roof。 There were three…tier bleachers on three sides； and the fourth side was the barn wall。 A double door in the barrier provided an entranceway inside； and two…by…two coops were nailed to the interior walls of the barn to serve as cockhouses for visitors。
There was a large blackboard nailed to the outside of the barn。 The fans could follow the running results of the derby as they were chalked up by the referee following each battle。 Cockfighters looking for individual hacks also used the blackboard。 I had written my name and the weights of all my cocks in square letters； hoping for a challenge。 When three…quarters of the crowd had left； I decided to quit myself。
I was inside the barn； transferring my birds into my traveling coops； when Vern Packard introduced me to an old farmer and his son。
〃Frank；〃 Vern said； 〃this is Milam Peeples； and his son； Tom。〃
I shook hands with both men。 Milam Peeples was in his late fifties； tanned and well weathered by his years of outside labor。 The yellow teeth on the left side of his mouth； I noticed； were worn down almost to the gum line from chewing on a pipe。 The son was a full head taller than his father； with long thick arms and big raw…looking hands。 He had a lopsided smile； a thick shock of wheat…colored hair； and he wore a gauze pad over his left eye。 His right eye was blue。 A thin trickle of spit ran down his chin from the left corner of his slack mouth。 Either it didn't bother him or he didn't notice it。 I noticed it； and it bothered me。
〃Glad to meet you； Mr。 Mansfield；〃 Tom Peeples said。
〃I saw on the blackboard out there〃…his father made a sweeping gesture with his malodorous briar pipe… 〃that you got a 4：02 lookin' for a fight。 If you don't mind givin' me an ounce； I got a 4：03 out to my place that can take him。〃
〃He's my cock； Mr。 Mansfield；〃 Tom broke in。 〃Little Joe。 You ever hear of him？〃
〃Mr。 Mansfield hasn't fought in this neck of the woods for some years； Tom；〃 Vern answered for me。 〃I doubt if he has。〃
〃Little Joe's a six…time winner； Mr。 Mansfield；〃 the old man continued； 〃but I've never fought him here in Vern's pit。 He's crowd shy and can't be conditioned to people or noise。 But if you want to drive on out to my farm； maybe we could have us a little private hack。〃
I nodded sympathetically。 Often a gamecock is crowd shy。 But I wasn't too anxious to pit Icky against a six…time winner。
〃I'll tell you what；〃 Milam Peeples said generously； 〃I'll give you two…to…one odds； and you can name the amount。 After all； you got to fight at my place instead of here； and I want to be fair。〃
I agreed； holding up five fingers。
〃Nope；〃 Milam Peeples shook his head。 〃I ain't fightin' Little Joe for no fifty dollars。 Ain't worth the risk。〃
I had meant five hundred dollars。 I grinned and opened and closed my fist five times； as rapidly as I could。
〃Five hundred dollars？〃 Mr。 Peeples took the pipe out of his mouth。
When I nodded； he hesitated。
〃Now that's getting mighty steep。 If I lose； you win yourself a thousand dollars。〃
〃You offered Frank two to one；〃 Vern Packard reminded the old man。
〃Little Joe can take him； Daddy！〃 Tom said eagerly。
〃All right。〃 Peeples agreed to the bet and we shook hands。 〃When you're ready to go you can follow us on out in your car。〃
〃Why don't you load Mr。 Mansfield's coops in his station wagon； Tom；〃 Vern suggested。 〃And I'll take him up to the house to get his suitcase。〃
〃Yes； sir；〃 Tom said。
As soon as Vern and I entered the back door of his house into the kitchen； he dropped into a chair beside the table where we had eaten breakfast。 There was an amused smile on his friendly； open face。 Vern was a short wiry little man with a sparse gray moustache； and he had been a