S ome time while I was living in Puerto Rico, I must have been about 14 years old, I liked to raise chickens in the backyard of my house. My mother had a lady working for her cooking and helping in the house. Her husband owned numerous fighting cocks. He took me to see the fights, where he bet money on them. One day, I went to see a fight. One of the roosters was badly hurt. When this happens, the owner sells them very cheap for the purpose of eating. I bought the one that lost and took it home. I took very good care of him and in a few weeks he looked very healthy together with our other hens.

I had an uncle that lived in the town of Rincon. I already mentioned him in another part of this book. One day he went to visit us in Mayaguez where I lived, and when he saw the rooster, he told me that the rooster was very popular and was known on the island of Puerto Rico! He offered to take care of him now that he was recovered. He was on his farm for six months when he was back to the way he was. I almost didn't recognize him. He had a beautiful tail and all his feathers, but when he fought, he had lost one eye. I had that rooster for a long time, but one day the man who had the fighting cocks told me if I would like to put the rooster in a fight, since he was very good. I told him to go ahead, and he had his last fight! I was too young and didn’t think. But I paid the price. I should have left him at my uncle's farm. The name of the rooster was "mi ropa" which means "my clothes."