cwilleford.cockfighter-第37部分

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！


　　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　oun