Admiral Dewey stood the battle better than his unfortunate friend, but he too was pecked at in a way so threatening that the groceryman concluded it would be wise to get rid of him immediately.

Because the admiral had not defended himself better from his pet's attack, the grocer regarded him with some disgust.
"Being as there was two of you and only one of the sparrow, 'pears as if you hadn't much grit," he said.

"I would better take your high-soundin' name away from you and call you something else besides Dewey, if you can't fight." For all the man's censure, the redbird knew that if Teddy Roosevelt had killed the sparrow instead of being killed by it, the grocer would have been much more grieved at the loss, for he had heard him say the sparrow was like one of his family.

The man forgot that the result might have been different if the redbirds had been older.
Having decided to dispose of the admiral, the grocer, who had an errand in the city the next day, carried the bird with him.

He knew of a probable customer for it in a gentleman named Morris, who had been advertising in the papers for a redbird.