Democratic Sentinel, Volume 21, Number 28, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 9 July 1897 — Lire Mouse in a Gamecock's Craw. [ARTICLE]

Lire Mouse in a Gamecock's Craw.

“I always knew that game roosters were thoroughly up to date in everything and always ready to fight anything, whether It be a circular saw or a bald-headed eagle,” said Chief Clerk Rooms, of Assistant Manager Fay's office. In the Southern Pacific building yesterday, “but It was a revelation to me to see a gamecock act the part of a mt terrier. I saw a black-breasted red a day or two since wide luto a covey of mice that Dr. Mercier had corralled for the bird's amusement and Inside of six minutes the rooster had killed sixteen of the rodents and had eaten eight of the covey. The doctor says that bird has a particular fondness for mice and never seems to get enough. “Some time ago, after a diet of mice, the rooster grew sick. He lost his appetite and seemed about to give up the ghost, and the doctor was greatly worried because of this fact After treating the fowl for a couple of dtiys he chloroformed him and dissected his craw. To his astonishment he found three mice in this portion of the bird's anatomy, oue of them still alive. The mouse had gotten its tall Into the small entmil leading to the bird's gizzard, and eoneequently had put a stop to the digestion of the rooster. The mouse must have realized this, and that it was ills sole chance of life, for when the doctor attempted to withdraw the tail the mouse set up an awful squeaking and feebly objected to the process. To make the matter more luteresting, he gizzard had gripped the end of the mouse’s tall and would not let go. “Between the two, the rooster came very near dying, but upon the mouse and tall being removed and the craw sewed up again the bird speedily' recovered, but now It runs from n mouse ns If it were a bull terrier.”—New Orleans Tlmes-Deinocrat.