Every moment of the way he had been impelled by the
master-passion of home-love. But it was a poor home-coming if his
wife figured at all in his thoughts, for he found her again
flirting with the Big Blue cock. Tired as he was, the duel was
renewed, and again would have been to a finish but for Billy's
interference. He separated the fighters, then shut the Blue cock
up in a coop, determined to get rid of him in some way. Meanwhile
the "Any Age Sweepstakes" handicap from Chicago to New York was
on, a race of nine hundred miles. Arnaux had been entered six
months before. His forfeit-money was up, and notwithstanding his
domestic complications, his friends felt that he must not fail to
appear.

The birds were sent by train to Chicago, to be liberated at
intervals there according to their handicap, and last of the
start was Arnaux. They lost no time, and outside of Chicago
several of these prime Flyers joined by common impulse into a
racing flock that went through air on the same invisible track. A
Homer may make a straight line when following his general sense
of direction, but when following a familiar back track he sticks
to the well-remembered landmarks. Most of the birds had been
trained by way of Columbus and Buffalo. Arnaux knew the Columbus
route, but also he knew that by Detroit, and after leaving Lake
Michigan, he took the straight line for Detroit. Thus he caught
up on his handicap and had the advantage of many miles. Detroit,
Buffalo, Rochester, with their familiar towers and chimneys,
faded behind him, and Syracuse was near at hand. It was now late
afternoon; six hundred miles in twelve hours he had flown and was
undoubtedly leading the race; but the usual thirst of the Flyer
had attacked him. Skimming over the city roofs, he saw a loft of