orsed him. "And this here
is something that I reckon ye won't go to law about," the showman
went on, ominously, "even if you have got a lawyer in the family.
You ketch, don't you?"

The unhappy second selectman realized his situation, sighed, and
pried a slat off the crate. His nomination was more sanguine than
he. The rooster hopped upon the crate, crowed, and stalked out onto
the barn floor with a confidence that made Reeves perk up courage
a bit.

Cap'n Kidd showed abstraction rather than zeal. He was busily engaged
in squinting along his warty legs, and at last detected two or three
objects that were annoying him. He picked them off leisurely. Then
he ran his stiff and scratchy wing down his leg, yawned, and seemed
bored.

When the other rooster ran across and pecked him viciously on his
red expanse of breast, he cocked his head sideways and looked down
wonderingly on this rude assailant. Blood trickled from the wound,
and Reeves giggled nervously. Cap'n Sproul muttered something and
looked apprehensive, but Hiram, his eyes hard and his lips set,
crouched at the side of the floor, and seemed to be waiting
confidently.

Widow Pike's favorite stepped back, rapped his bill on the floor
several times, and then ran at his foe once more. A second trail of
blood followed his blow. This time the unknown ducked his knobby head
at the attacker. It looked like a blow with a slung-shot. But it
missed, and Reeves tittered again.

"Fly up and peck his eye out, Pete!" he called, cheerily.

It is not likely that Peter understood this adjuration,
notwithstanding Cap'n Sproul's gloomy convictions on that score in
the past. But, apparently having tested the courage of this enemy,
he changed his tactics, leaped, and flew at Cap'n Kidd with spurring
feet.

Then it happened!

It happened almost before the little group of spectators could gasp.

Cap'n Kidd threw himself back on the bristling spines of his tail,
both claws off the floor. Peter's spurring feet met only empty air,
and he fell on the foe.

Foe's splay claws grabbed him around the neck and clutched him like
a vise, shutting off his last, startled squawk. Then Cap'n Kidd
darted forward that knobby head with its ugly beak, and tore off
Peter's caput with one mighty wrench.

"'Tain't fair! It's jest as I said it was! 'Tain't square!" screamed
Reeves.

But Hiram strode forward, snapping authoritative fingers under
Wixon's nose. "Hand me that money!" he gritted,