Page:Pictures of life in Mexico Vol 1.djvu/182

154 riotous, when suddenly their faces are all at once bent forward, the noise is hushed, attention is concentrated on one point, their eyes dilate, and they listen eagerly.

Approaching footsteps, and a slight sound, as of a suppressed chuckle, are heard advancing; and a rakish-looking man enters the apartment, bearing under his arm a high-bred game-cock of a bright orange colour, armed with sharp spurs. The man's appearance is hailed with enthusiasm; but the bird is so evidently the hero of the scene, that his owner has some difficulty to prevent him being taken and handed round for the admiration of the company at large. By this time, however, another individual, with a smirk on his countenance, has arrived upon the ground, with a cock of a somewhat greyer hue under his arm. This bird is not quite such a favourite as the former, though he has his particular admirers; and his owner gazes upon him with a mingled expression of complacency and confidence.

After a few preliminaries of consultation and wagering, the cocks are exhibited to each other and encouraged by their respective owners, who make a clucking noise, and stroke