Chicken George is beside himself with excitement because the rich Mr. Jewett has agreed to fight chickens with Sir Eric Russell of England. As a result, the biggest cockfight of the year has been planned, with a pot of $30,000 and side bets of $250. In preparation for the big fight, neither Chicken George nor Tom Lea is seen by anyone as they prepare their chickens for the cockfight of the century against the prime stock of the Englishman.

The only two people upset about this cockfight are Mrs. Lea and Matilda. Tom Lea demands their savings of $5,000 from the bank to bet on the cockfight. Likewise, Chicken George demands and receives their savings of $2,000 to bet as well. Even being the dutiful wife that she is, Matilda can’t help exclaiming, “He ain’t got no right to gamble wid our freedom!”

When Chicken George finally tells Tom Lea about the money George saved to bet in the cockfight, Tom Lea is surprised that Chicken George was able to save that much. Tom Lea is so impressed that Chicken George is willing to pool the money that he insists that the money will be doubled and that Chicken George will receive every penny of the winnings in return. After Tom Lea asks Chicken George what he is going to do with the winnings, Chicken George decides to tell Tom Lea about Chicken George’s plan to free his family. To Chicken George’s amazement, Tom Lea praises Chicken George for all of his years of service. Furthermore, Tom Lea promises that because the Leas will be able to build a house to cater to their old age and because Tom is getting sick of fighting cocks, if Chicken George gives his winnings to his master, Tom Lea will free his entire family. Chicken George decides to keep Tom Lea’s promise of freedom a secret until after the big cockfight.

Tom Lea and Chicken George travel to the cockfight, where slews of “poor crackers” are to cheer them on. With so much riding on the winnings, Chicken George chooses to massage and prepare the cocks for the fights instead of watching the first bouts himself. Finally, Tom Lea’s birds are announced. The yells of the poor whites reach fever pitch, showing that Tom Lea and Chicken George are legends here in the South. Seeing the quality of Tom Lea’s birds and the skill of Chicken George, Sir Eric Russell asks if Tom Lea would like a side bet of $10,000. Tom Lea ups the bet to $20,000 and the two accept. The two birds fight admirably, and it’s Tom Lea’s bird that wins when he sinks “a spur into the English bird’s heart.” Chicken George is beside himself with the thought of his family’s freedom.

Unfortunately, Tom Lea accepts a second bet from the Englishman: “eighty thousand dollars at stake, winner take all.” Even though Chicken George and Tom Lea choose their prime cock, the one that they call “De Hawk,” for the fight (because it’s so good at holding the enemy with its beak while slashing with its spurs), the bird is outmatched. Despite the holding and slashing of De Hawk, the English bird sinks a fatal spur, and Chicken George weeps in the cockpit, holding the dead bird and knowing that freedom has been lost.

To settle the bet with money he doesn’t have, Tom Lea sells Chicken George to the Englishman so he can return to England and train yet another cockfighter. Tom Lea then hands Chicken George the legal papers that will free him after his return to the United States...in three years.