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he drag pit。
In the thirty…first pitting we went to breast after the third count of twenty； one hand under the bird only； at the center score。
〃Get ready；〃 Ed Middleton said。
Pete and I faced each other across the two…foot score； both holding weary fighters with our right hand； and one foot above the ground。 That's when the Indian made his first mistake。
〃Pit！〃
I dropped on signal and so did Pete； but Pete pushed； causing his Spanish to peck first because of the added impetus。 I saw him plainly； but Ed missed it。 Snapping my fingers I made a pushing gesture with my right palm and pointed to the straight…faced Seminole。
〃I'm refereeing this fight； Mr。 Mansfield！〃 Ed snapped angrily。 〃Handle！〃
We picked up the cocks for the short rest period。 I couldn't argue； but Ed had been alerted and he watched Pete closely during the next actionless pittings。 There are no draws at the S。C。T。； and I was beginning to think the fight 'was going to last all day when Pete just barely pushed his bird on the forty…fifth pitting。 This time； Ed caught him at it。
〃Foul！ The winner is Number Five！〃
〃Foul？〃 Pete asked innocently。 〃I mitted a foul of some kind？〃
〃Pushing on the breast score。 Are you trying to argue； Mr。 Chocolate？〃
〃I'm afraid I must； Mr。 Middleton；〃 Pete said with feigned bewilderment。 Spreading his arms widely； Pete turned to the crowd of a dozen or so spectators who had followed the first fight into the drag pit。 〃Did any of you gentlemen see me pushing？〃
〃That's a fifty…dollar fine for arguing。 Anything else to say； Pete？〃
Pete glowered at Ed for about ten seconds； and then shook his head。 We carried our birds out； returning to our respective cockhouses。 The door was open and my partner was attempting frantically to heel a 5：02 Roundhead by himself when I entered。
〃Take over； Frank！〃 Omar said excitedly。 〃Your drag lasted almost an hour； and we'vet got less than five minutes to meet Roy Whipple with a 5：02！〃
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 Milledgevifie has concrete walls。 At a wooden…walled pit； when two cocks are fighting close to the barrier； it isn't unusual for one of the fighters to jab one of his gaffs into a board and get stuck。
Because of this possibility； cockpits with sixteen…inch wooden walls have a ground rule 〃to handle〃 when an accident like this happens。 The handler then pulls the gaff loose from the wall and； following a thirty…second rest period； the birds are pitted again。
There was no such rule at Mifiedgeville。
With a concrete pit； this ground rule was considered unnecessary。 Unfortunately for Johnny Norris； after many years of operation； there were hairline cracks in the concrete wall。 In the sixth pitting； my Claret drove Johnny's spangled Shuffler into the walls During a quick flurry； the Shuffler hung a gaff into one of the narrow cracks。 The long three…inch heel was wedged tight。 The Shuffler was immobilized； with his head dangling down； about ten inches above the dirt floor of the pit。
Johnny looked angrily at Buddy and said： 〃Handle； for Christ's sake！〃
〃No such rule at this pit。〃 Buddy shook his head stubbornly。
My aaret had backed away and was eyeing the upsidedown bird； judging the distance。 Advancing three short steps； he flew fiercely into the helpless Shuffler with both heels fanning。 The fight was mine。
Johnny swung a roundhouse right and broke Buddy Waggoner's jaw。
After a near riot； order was restored when Senator Foxhall announced that he would stop the tourney and clear the pit if everybody didn't quiet down。 Johnny Norris was taken off the S。C。T。 rolls and banished back to Birmingham。 Because of Johnny's forced withdrawal； the remaining seven entries had to be reshuffled and rematched by the officials。 This administrative work took more than an hour。
At one o'clock； when the lunch break was called； Mary Elizabeth still hadn't put in an appearance。 I had made a nuisance out of myself by writing notes and checking periodically with the box office and parking attendants； but by one p。m。 I had resigned myself that she wouldn't e。
I took Bernice to the house for lunch。
The rematching delay ruined the planned schedule。 The last match between Roy Whipple and Colonel Bob Moore didn't start until three thirty。 The moment the two cockfighters entered the pit； Omar and I raced for our cockhouse to heel Icky for the last hack between my bird and Burke's Little David。
When we returned to the pit； Jack Burke was already heeled and waiting。 As the three of us stood in the doorway； watching the fight in progress； Jack looked contemptuously at Icky and said； 〃Let's raise the bet to two thousand； Frank。〃
Omar bridled。 〃One thousand is the bet； Mr。 Burke。 You've had Little David on a country walk all season； and Icky's had to fight to qualify。 If there's any bet…changing to be done； you should give us some odds。〃
〃Are you asking for odds； Frank？〃 Burke challenged； ignoring my partner。
I shook my head。 Holding Icky under my left arm； I pointed to the pit with my free hand。 Colonel Bob was carrying out a