A man approaches them and calls into their ears, "_Pare_, [128] a hundred to ten on the white!" Tarsilo stares at him in a foolish way and responds to Bruno's nudge with a grunt.
The starters hold the cocks with skilful delicacy, taking care not to wound themselves.

A solemn silence reigns; the spectators seem to be changed into hideous wax figures.

They present one cock to the other, holding his head down so that the other may peck at it and thus irritate him.

Then the other is given a like opportunity, for in every duel there must be fair play, whether it is a question of Parisian cocks or Filipino cocks.

Afterwards, they hold them up in sight of each other, close together, so that each of the enraged little creatures may see who it is that has pulled out a feather, and with whom he must fight.