It must have been a strange sight.

Every male scholar was expected to bring a cock to the school, and to pay a shilling to the dominie for the privilege of seeing it killed there.
The dominie was the master of the sports, assisted by the neighbouring farmers, some of whom might be elders of the church.

Three rounds were fought.

By the end of the first round all the cocks had fought, and the victors were then pitted against each other.

The cocks that survived the second round were eligible for the third, and the dominie, besides his shilling, got every cock killed.