as illegal it had been abolished。 I should have spelled it out in detail； I supposed。 But if she made any inquiries at all； she could find out about it easily enough。 Her nephew could do the investigating for her； and my name was certainly well known in cockfighting circles。 The letter was better this way。 If she attended the Milledgeville meet； I'd be able to determine if she was as interested in me as she appeared to be。
I walked down the gravel road to the highway and put the two letters and some change for stamps into my R。ED。 mailbox。 The night was warm and soft for late September； and a gentle breeze blew steadily across the fields。 There was a steady hum from a million insects municating with each other in their own little ways。
When I switched on the overhead lights in the cockhouse to check the chickens； the Mellhorn Blacks jumped up and down nervously in their coops； clucking and crowing almost in unison。 They were all hungry； and I intended to keep them that way。 I filled the water dips with water and returned to my shack。 Without turning on the lights again； I sat in the dark strumming away on my new guitar until way past midnight。
This was one of the most pleasant evenings I have ever spent by myself。 Although I was tired after three hectic days on the road with Omar； I was much too happy to sleep。
12
We were unable to make the first Southern Conference meet； October 15； at Greenville； Mississippi； but there was ample time to prepare our gamecocks for the sixcock； November 10 derby in Tifton； Georgia。
During the interim； Omar wrote to Pete Chocolate at Pahokee and arranged a hack match at the Ocala cockpit to be held on a Sunday afternoon in two weeks。 Pete Chocolate was a worthy opponent； although he was eccentric in many ways。 He was a top cockfighter and a longtime Southern Conference regular and usually fought Spanish game fowl and Spanish crosses。 He also had the distinction of being the first Seminole Indian to graduate from the University of Florida with a master's degree in Asian Studies。 I don't know why he wanted a degree in Asian Studies； but I know how he got it。 A rich Chinese pawnbroker who had made all his money in Miami left an annual scholarship to the university in Asian Studies for any Seminole who wanted to take it。 The Chinaman had been dead for more than fifteen years； and Pete Chocolate had been the first and only Seminole to take advantage of the free degree。
Another peculiarity about Pete was his habit of wearing a black tuxedo suit at all times； even when he handled in the pit。 He didn't always wear a white shirt and black tie with the tuxedo。 Sometimes he did； but he occasionally wore a sport shirt； a blue work shirt； or； as often as not； no shirt at all。
His master's degree and tuxedo had nothing to do with his ability as a cockfighter。 He was a top handler and feeder； and a tough opponent to face in the pit。
The check weights for the hacks were 4：02； 5：00； 5：06 and 5：10。 This early in the season； Pete only wanted to fight these weights； and we had to meet them in order to get the match。 Each hack was to be a separate pit battle； and we were to put up fifty dollars a fight。 With the wide selection of cocks we had； it was easy to meet the weights。 I selected two of Omar's Roundheads； one Ace Mellhorn Black； and my 5：00 Middleton Gray。 Although Icky's weight was only 4：02； I put him on the conditioning program too； in case I could get an extra hack for him。 Before I could enter Icky in the Milledgeville Tourney against my old rival Jack Burke； he had to win at least four fights。 In my opinion； Icky was the cock to beat Burke's Little David。 With this eventual goal in mind； I intended to select Icky's four preliminary matches with care。
For the first few days of our partnership； Omar was often sullen； but he gradually came around to my way of conditioning。 To prepare a gamecock for the pit is tough enough if he is in good feather already； but if the conditioner has to work off excess fat at the same time； his task is doubly difficult。 When I worked out a regular diet for Omar's flock of Roundheads and Clarets； he objected bitterly。
〃Damn it； Frank；〃 he said； shoving my list of feeding instructions back into my hand； 〃I feed my cocks three times as much as that！〃
We were looking over Omar's chickens at the runs on his farm； so I tried to show him why the new feeding schedule was necessary。 I picked one of his Claret roosters out of a nearby coop； felt his meaty thighs with a dour expression on my face； handed him to Omar； and nodded for him to do the same。
〃He's hard as a brick；〃 Omar said defensively； squeezing the Claret's legs。
I shook my head； picked up a stick and printed FAT！ on the ground with the point of it。 Omar rubbed out the word with his toe； returned the cock to the coop； and pawed through his beard。
〃All right。 If you say so； Frank。 But he doesn't feel fat to me！〃
Although Omar had been fighting cocks for four years； it was evident that he had never 〃felt〃 a truly conditioned game…cock。 The right feel of a gamecock is indescribable。 Maybe it is an instinct of some kind； but if a man ever gets the right feel of a perfectly conditioned gamecock in his f ingers； his fingers never forget。 The exact right feel is an incorporeal knowledge； and once the fingers memorize it； they are never satisfied until they find it again。 When a gamecock has the right feel； it is ready for the pit。 Omar thought my regular diet was drastic； but I had to get the excess fat off his birds before I could put them on my special conditioning diet。
I checked the list again： 1 tablespoon of 2/3 cracked corn and 1/3 whole oats； once a day； tossed into scratch pen。 One…fourth of an apple every four days。 Two ounces of hamburger every ten days。 Plenty of grit and oyster shells available at all times。 Keep the water cups full。
This was a good diet； a practical feed I had learned through long apprenticeship。 The chickens wouldn't starve； and they wouldn't get fat。 If they had any fat when they were put on it； they would lose it in a hurry。 And as long as this diet was maintained； any cock could be switched to a battle…conditioning diet and be ready to fight within ten days。 By weighing them daily； any sudden； dangerous weight loss would be detected； and the feed could be increased slightly。 But Omar had to begin somewhere； and the new diet was the first step forward in his professional education。 I returned the list to my unhappy partner； and this time he accepted it。 The Claret crowed deeply； anxious to get some more attention。
〃You'd better crow now；〃 Omar shouted at the gamecock。 〃By this time next week you'll be too damned hungry to crow！〃
The conditioning of game fowl is not a job for a lazy man。 To condition five gamecocks for the hack ing up was easy for me； but I don't think Omar had ever worked as hard in his life。 The way he groaned and plained was downright funny。 Just wait； I thought； until we start condi tioning twenty or thirty at a time。 In order to get six cocks ready for the Tifton derby； we would have to condition at least twenty。
After I rousted Omar out of bed at his farm at four thirty two mornings in a row； he brought a cot and his sheets over to my shack and bunked there。 There was an old Negro couple； Leroy and Mary Bondwell； who looked after Omar at his farmhouse。 During the two weeks Omar lived with me； Leroy fed Omar's cocks with the new diet。 Every afternoon Omar drove home to check and weigh his birds； returning to my place for the evening conditioning sessions。
Buford dropped by for an hour or so every day； and I would put him to work changing straw in the coops； painting coop walks with creosote； or give him some other kind of odd job。 But Omar and I； on a strict time schedule； did everything else。
I wakened Omar daily at five。 I shaved and Omar fixed breakfast。 By five thirty； at the latest； we were in the cockhouse。
During the entire conditioning period； the cocks were each kept in a separate stall in the cockhouse。 The wooden slats on each door were close enough together so the chicken couldn't stick his neck between them and jump u