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.

Another pair of cocks was already in the ring: two young birds trained
to the finest distinction, and they sparred so lustily that even the
experts could not predict the victor. But there was no heart in Joseph
for more cock-fighting, and he viewed with disgust the mean vile faces
that leered at him while he thanked them for the occasion which he owed
them of overlooking so much fine sport. But they were a scurvy lot,
viler than he had supposed, though he had suspected from the first that
they were nurturing some trick against him. And he searched himself, for
he would willingly give them money to be rid of them. But how much will