ing
but little harm to its opponent. One cannot but be full of pity and
admiration for the brave bird, which thus gives so marvellous an example
of its pluck and endurance. At last time is called, and the
cock-fighter, who is in charge of the blinded bird, after examining it
carefully, asks for a needle and thread, and the swollen lower lid of
the still uninjured eye-ball is sewn to the piece of membrane on the
bird's cheek, and its sight is thus once more partially restored. Again
time is called, and the birds resume their contest, the cock with the
injured eye repaying its adversary so handsomely for the punishment
which it had received in the previous round, that, before the cocoa-nut
shell is half full of water, its opponent has surrendered, and has
immediately been snatched up by the keeper in charge of it. The
victorious bird, draggled and woebegone, with great patches of red flesh
showing through its wet plumage, with the membrane of its face, and its
short gills and comb swollen and bloody, with one eye put out, and the
other only kept open by the thread attached to its eyelid, yet makes
shift to strut, with staggering gait, across the cock-pit, and to notify
its victory, by giving vent to a lamentable ghost of a crow. Then it is
carried off followed by an admiring, gesticulating, vociferous crowd, to
be elaborately tended and nursed, as befits so gallant a bird. The
beauty of the sport is that either bird can stop fighting at any moment.
They are never forced to continue the conflict if once they have
declared themselves defeated, and the only real element of cruelty is
thus removed. The birds in fighting, follow the instinct which nature
has implanted in them, and their marvellous courage and endurance
surpass anything to be found in any other animals, human or otherwise,
with which I am acquainted. Most birds fight more or less; from the
little fierce quail, to the sucking doves which ignorant Europeans,
before their illusions have been dispelled by a sojourn in the East, are
accustomed to regard as the emblems of peace and purity; but no bird, or
beast, or fish, or human being fights so well, or takes such pleasure in
the fierce joy of battle, as does a plucky, lanky, ugly, hard-bit old
fighting-cock.

The Malays regard these birds with immense respect, and value their
fighting-cocks next to their children. A few years ago, a boy, who was
in charge of a cock which belonged to a _Raja_ of my acquaintance,
ac