most
vehement manner, and the noise excited the hens so much that they all
cackled as loudly they could.

Of course the speaker's voice could not be heard, and he came to a
dead halt, while the audience laughed. After waiting for ten minutes
silence was again obtained, and Butterwick began a second time.

As soon as he had uttered the words "Ladies and gentlemen," the Poland
rooster, which seemed to have a grudge against the speaker, emitted
another preposterous crow, and all the other fowls in the room joined
in the deafening chorus. The audience roared, and Butterwick grew red
in the face with passion. But when the noise subsided, he went at it
again, and got as far as "Ladies and gentlemen, the domestic barn-yard
fowl affords a subject of the highest interest to the--" when the
Poland rooster became engaged in a contest with an overgrown Shanghai
chicken, and this set the hens of the combatants to cackling, and in a
moment the entire collection was in another uproar. This was too
much. Mr. Butterwick was beside himself with rage. He flung down his
manuscript, rushed to the cage, and shaking his fist at the Poland
chicken exclaimed,

"You diabolical fiend, I've half a mind to murder you!"

Then he kicked the cage to pieces with his foot, and seizing the
rooster twisted its neck and flung it on the floor. Then he fled from
the hall, followed by peals of laughter from the audience and more
terrific clatter from the fowls. The exhibition was opened without
further ceremony, and the dissertation on the domestic barn-yard fowl
was ordered to be printed in the annual report of the proceedings of
the society.

One day while I was talking with Mr. Keyser upon the subject of the
cock he pointed to a chicken that was roosting upon an adjoining
fence, and told me a story about the fowl that I must refuse to
believe.

"Perhaps you never noticed that rooster," said Keyser--"very likely
you wouldn't have observed him; but I don't care in what light you
look at him, the more you study him, the more talented he appears.
You talk about your American iggles and birds of freedom, but that
insignificant-looking chicken yonder can give any of them twenty
points and pocket them at the first shot. That rooster has traits of
character that'd adorn almost any walk of life.

[Illustration: THE AFFAIR AT THE POULTRY-SHOW]

"Most chickens are kinder stupid; but what I like about him is that he
is sympathetic, he has feeling. I know l