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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？〃
〃No； he didn't。〃 Doc looked at me reproachfully。 〃I didn't know Frank had himself a partner until I read the account of the Plant City Main between you…all and Jack Burke。 Now； that was a main I wish I'd seen！ That reminds me； Frank…〃 Doc took a small bottle of black…and…gray capsules out of his pocket and placed it on the workbench。 〃These are energy capsules。 I made 'em up for Mr。 Burke from a formula he gave me； and they should be good。 They take about an hour for the best results； but when I made 'em up for Mr。 Burke's chickens； I said to myself： 'While I'm at it； I'll just make up a batch for Frank Mansfield：
〃We appreciate it； Doctor；〃 Omar said…and then to me； 〃The restaurant should be open by now。 Let's get some breakfast。〃
Shaking my head； I opened my gaff case on the workbench and started to polish gaffs with my conical grinding stone。
〃I'll have some coffee with you； Mr。 Baradinsky；〃 Doc offered。
〃Fine。 I'd like to find out more about Licarbo。〃
〃Right now；〃 Doc said； 〃advertising isn't quite as important as raising a little capital。 However； I'd appreciate any advice you'd…〃
〃I'll bring you some coffee； Frank；〃 Omar said over his shoulder。 〃Capital； Doctor； is simply a matter of devious stratagems worked out through a mathematical process known as pressure patterns peculiar to pecuniary people。〃
As soon as they were out of earshot I opened the small bottle of energy capsules Doc had given me； dumped them on the floor； and crushed them into powder with my heel。 The capsules might have been wonderful； but I wouldn't take any chances with them。 Jack Burke knew that Doc Riordan was a friend of mine； and that fact alone was enough to make me distrust the medicine。 Perhaps Jack didn't have enough brains to plan anything so devious； but I wouldn't have used a strange product on my chickens whether Burke's name had been mentioned or not。 A major tournament is not the place for experimentation。
As the parking lot filled slowly； I leaned against the locked door of our cockhouse and watched the arriving cars as they pulled in and parked under the directions of the attendants。 By nine a。m。； when the time came for Omar and me to go over to the pit for the opening of the tourney； there was still no sign of either Bernice or Mary Elizabeth。
Tension was building up inside me； as it always does just before a meet； and I was happy when Peach Owen disengaged the mike； and handed it to Senator Foxhall。 Peach played out the extra cord behind the senator as the old man marched stiffly to the center of the pit。 The senator waited for silence； which didn't take very long。 This early in the morning； there were only about two hundred spectators； but by two in the afternoon； the place would be jammed。
〃Ladies and gentlemen；〃 Senator Foxhall said in his high reedy voice； 〃wele to the Southern Conference Tourney！ We sincerely hope that all of you will have a good time。 There is only one rule that you must observe during the meet。〃 He paused。 〃Conduct yourselves like ladies and gentlemen。〃
（Applause。）
〃Before the tourney is over；〃 he said wryly； licking his thin lips； 〃some of you may desire to place a small wager or two…〃
（Laughter。）
〃If you do； make certain you know the man you're betting with…there may be Internal Revenue agents in the crowd！〃
（Laughter。）
The old man turned the hand microphone over to Peach Owen and returned to his chair beside the judge's box。 For the remainder of the tourney he would sit there quietly； watching everything that went on with his deep…set； cold blue eyes。 With those experienced eyes watching me； I knew I couldn't make a single mistake when I was in the pit。
I was elated when Peach Owen called over the PA system for entry Number Two and entry Number Five to report to the judge's box to pick up their weight slips。 My tension disappeared。 Now I could be busy。
The first match was 5：00 cocks。 After getting our weightslip； Omar and I double…timed back to the cockhouse to heel our chicken。 Time was going on from the second we received our weight slip； and only fifteen minutes were allowed to heel and be ready for the pitting。 If an entry failed to make it on time； he forfeited that fight； and the next waiting； heeled pair was called。 The fifteen…minute time limit kept the fights moving along fast。 Where a match was even； or after ten minutes of fighting in the main pit； the two cocks were sent to the drag pit and a new pair was started in the center pit。
From the first pitting； I knew that the fight was going to be a long…drawn…out battle。 Pete Chocolate matched a Spanish cross against my Mellhorn Black； and both birds were wary and overcautious。 They did little damage to each other by the fourth pitting； and just before the fifth； when Ed Middleton saw that Roy Whipple and Baldy Allen were heeled and ready； he signaled for second referee Buddy Waggoner to start the next match and ordered us to follow him into the drag pit。
In the thirty…first pitting we went to breast after the third count of twenty； one