that their bird, though stronger than the younger bird, did not spring as high or as easily.  A good bird, he heard the servants say:  there’ll be a battle for it, my word, there will, and our bird will win if the young one doesn’t get his stroke in quickly; an old bird will tire out a young bird....  As these words were spoken, the black cock dashed in, and with a quick stroke sent his spur through the red bird’s head.  He’s gone this time beyond thy care!  And tears came into Lydia’s eyes.  I’m sorry, I’d have liked to have seen him end his days happily among the hens, a-treading of them.  Joseph felt he had not rightly understood her, and when he inquired out her meaning from her, she told it with so repulsive a leer that he could not conquer a sudden dislike.  He moved away from her immediately and asked her no more questions.

More cocks were set to fight, and they fought to the death always:  only once did a cock turn tail and refuse to continue the combat.  To persuade him to be brave, the slave in charge placed him breast to breast with his adversary, but despite all encouragement he turned tail and hid himself in the netting.  Now what will happen to him?  Joseph asked.  First he’ll be cut and then fattened for the spit or the gridiron, the Heeler answered.  Look, young Master, and turning his eyes whither the Heeler’s finger pointed, Joseph saw the bird’s owner sign to the slave that he was to twist the bird’s neck; which was done, and the poltroon went into a basket by himself—­he did not deserve to be with those that had been slain in combat.

The ring was now covered with blood and feathers, and two slaves came with buckets of water and brushes to clean it, and while this office was being performed many fell to drinking from flasks which their slaves handed to them.  The man who had told his slave to wring his cock’s neck regretted that he had done so.  The merited punishment would have been to hand the bird over to a large ape, that would have plucked the bird feather by feather, examining each feather curiously before selecting the next one; and he swore a great oath by Jupiter and then, as if to annoy the Jews, by Jehovah, that the next of his birds that refused combat should be served this way.  Our master will not put us on the cross for so misjudging a bird’s courage, Joseph heard the Heeler say; and Lydia sidled up against Joseph, and it was her thigh as much as the memory of the oaths he had heard uttered and that were being uttered and that would be uttered again as soon as the fighting commenced that set him thinking of Azariah scanning the tally on the wall—­vowing that he would teach him no more; but the tally, which Joseph knew well, showed that he had not missed an hour for many months.  But a whole day’s absence was something more than any truancy he had ever indulged in before, and the only reason he could give for it would be the inacceptable one that the cockers had bidden a demon take possession of him.