Cockfighter - Charles Ray Willeford [87]
No. Four. Burke showed a 5:08 Blackwell Roundhead, Mansfield a 5:07 Claret. This was the most even and best match so far. The two cocks mixed like sand and cement every time they met until the 10th when Burke got tired. The Roundhead was down on his score in the 18th, and taken out in the 19th unable to face.
No. Five. Burke a Blue-Spangle cross, Mansfield a green-legged Allen Roundhead with the widest wingspread I've seen outside of Texas. Both scaled 5:09. Two ring-wise roosters met in this battle and it was truly the best fight of the whole Main. Mansfield rattled in the 6th and then came back strong after I don't know how many changed bets. Burke was killed in the 19th after the Roundhead regained vigor and shuffled all over the Cross a dozen times. Folks, there was money lost on this fight!
No. Six. Both showed 5:10 cocks. Burke a Tulsa Red and Mansfield a Claret cross. The light-footed Tulsa Red was truly a great cutter that uncoupled the Claret in the 2nd pitting. Frank carried him out in the 3rd.
No. Seven. Both showed 5:12 cocks. Burke an O'Neal Red, Mansfield a low-stationed Mellhorn Black. Jack was rattled in the 3rd and down on his score in the 14th. The Mellhorn Black who spiked the steel with unerring accuracy in every pitting won for Frank in the 20th.
No. Eight. Both showed 5:13 cocks. Burke a Butcher Boy and Frank an Allen Roundhead. The steel was tossed from every angle in the 1st and 2nd pittings as sudden squalls hit Middle Florida. The Butcher Boy weakened in the 3rd but grew stronger in the 7th and hurt the Roundhead in the next two pittings. In the 9th the Roundhead slowed and the Butcher Boy put him out of the running. Frank carried him out after the 10th.
No. Nine. Both showed 5:14 cocks. Burke a battlewise Whitehackle, Mansfield a fine-colored Claret. Frank was smiling all over the place up to the 8th pitting when the Whitehackle got down to business and changed his smile to a frown. His Claret was counted out in the 12th.
No. Ten. Both showed six-pounders. Mansfield a side-stepping Mellhorn Black that skipped constantly to the right, and Burke a black-and-white Spangle. The Black broke the Spangle's leg in the 3rd and Burke carried his cock out. Frank had a real Ace here, and his way of fighting bewildered the Spangle. This was the sidestepper's fourth win this season.
No. Eleven. Two more six-pound cocks, Burke with an Ace Kansas Cutter, and Mansfield with a three-year-old Alabama-walked Claret. The Kansas chicken hung every time he got close to the Claret, and Frank had to take him out in the 9th.
No. Twelve. Burke showed a 6:02 Sawyers Roundhead and Mansfield gave hint two ounces with the Claret he showed. These cocks came out with plenty of gas, and buckled hard for the first five pittings. An even match, one in and then the other. Mansfield was cut down on his score in the 13th. A few fast shuffles by the Sawyers Roundhead and the bloodsodden Claret was carried out helpless.
The score was tied six to six!
Odd fight. Shakes. No weights were given, of course. Burke looked determined to win the odd fight when he showed an enormous Shawlneck. My educated guess gave the Shawlneck at least ten ounces over Mansfield's oversized Roundhead. But Jack needed more than weight. In Frank's hands the Roundhead showed a furious style of fighting that befuddled the heavier bird. Burke was down in the 18th with a broken leg and Frank won in the 23rd.
But there was an even better fight to come!
As Jack Burke, great sportsman that he is, was counting out the greenbacks into Frank's eager hand, Mrs. Dody Burke, Jack's beauteous young bride, decided to put on a hack of her own! Weighing approximately 125 pounds, and armed with red shoes (with three-inch heels), she flew across the pit and gaffed silent Frank in the shins. She also tried a right-cross to Frank's jaw with a free-swinging red leather purse, but was blocked by her handler, Jack Burke,