Chapter 11

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_ CHAPTER ELEVEN.

"I say, isn't it time to get up?"

It was a low whisper in my ear, and I started into full wakefulness, to find it was dark, and that Mercer was sitting on the edge of my bed, while the other boys were snoring.

"What time is it?" was my first and natural question.

"I don't know. If I'd got old Eely's watch, I could have had it under my pillow, and seen directly."

"No, you couldn't," I said grumpily, for I was sleepy and cross; "it's too dark."

"Well, I could have run my finger over the hands, and told by the touch. You see, I should have held the watch perfectly upright, and then the twelve would have been by the handle, and I could have told directly."

"But you haven't got a watch, and so you don't know."

"No," he said, with a sigh, "I haven't got that watch. Old Eely's got it--a nasty, consequential, bully dandy."

"Do go and lie down again," I said. "I am so sleepy!"

"What for? It's time to get up."

"It can't be; see how dark it is."

"Oh, that's only because it's a dark morning. Get up and dress, and don't be so grumpy because I've woke you up."

"But I haven't had sleep enough," I grumbled, "and I don't believe it's twelve o'clock yet. Look at the stars shining."

"Well, they always do shine, don't they? What's that got to do with it?"

"But it isn't daylight, and we were not to go to Lomax till five."

"By the time we're washed and dressed, the sun will be up, and then there won't be any waiting."

"Hark!" I said, for the turret clock, below the big bell, chimed.

One, two--three, four--five, six--seven, eight.

Then a long pause.

"Five o'clock," whispered Mercer.

_Chang_!

We waited as the stroke of the striking hammer rang out loudly, and we could hear the vibration of the bell quivering in the air.

"Well, go on, stupid," said Mercer at last.

"Go on indeed!" I said angrily. "What's the good of coming and disturbing a fellow like this? It's only one o'clock."

"Don't believe it. That clock's wrong. Now, if I had had a watch--"

"Bother the watch!--bother the clock!--bother you!" I cried. "If you don't be off, I'll give you bolster."

"Oh, very well," he said. "But I couldn't sleep. It must be four, though. I'll go and lie down for a bit longer."

He stole back to his bed, and, with a sigh of relief, I sank back into a delicious nap, from which my tormentor roused me twice more, to declare it must be time to get up; but there was not a faint gleam of light yet at the window, and I resolutely refused to rise, sending my companion back to bed, and going off again, to wake at last with the sun shining brilliantly in by the curtain. This time I jumped up, with the full impression upon me that I had overslept myself; while there lay Mercer on his back, with his mouth wide-open, and giving vent every now and then to a guttural snore.

And now we shall be too late, I thought, as I hurried on my trousers, slipped out of the dormitory door, to run down to the end of the passage, where I could look out and see the sun shining brightly on the gold letters of the clock face, where, to my great delight, the hands pointed to half-past four.

Plenty of time, and I went back and roused up Mercer, who started into wakefulness, looking quite guilty.

"All right!" he said. "I only just shut my eyes. What's o'clock?"

"Time you were dressed," I whispered. "Don't talk loud, or you'll wake the others."

We washed and dressed with wonderful celerity, and then crept out and down-stairs, to open one of the schoolroom windows, jump out, and close it after us. Then, in the delicious fresh morning, with the trees all dewy, we started off to go through the shrubbery, and were half-way to the lodge, when Mercer caught me by the arm.

"Look!" he said. "Magglin!" and there, going across one of the fields beyond the road, was that individual, with the pockets of his jacket seeming to be sticking out; and the same idea struck us both.

"He's been poaching!"

But he passed out of sight directly, and we hurried on down to the lodge, to find Lomax standing at the door smoking his morning pipe.

"Five minutes before your time," he said. "That's a good sign. You both want to learn, so you'll learn quickly. Wait a minute, I've just done my bad habit. I learned that years ago, and it's hard to break oneself of it. There, that'll do," he continued, lifting up one foot, and bending down, so as to knock the ashes out of his pipe by tapping the bowl on his heel. "Come along! I've cleared the decks for you."

In fact, as we entered the room, we found that the table and chairs had been taken out, and the little square of carpet and hearthrug rolled up together and stood in a corner, while on the window sill lay the two pairs of boxing-gloves, like four hugely swollen giants' hands, and they looked so ridiculous that we both laughed.

"'Tention!" cried Lomax, shutting and bolting the door. "Business! You can laugh after. Now then, put them on."

We readily obeyed, and as each glove was put on, Lomax tied them securely in their places by the stout strings at the wrists, and once more our comical aspect was too much for us, and we laughed more uproariously than before.

"'Tention, I say, boys. Silence! Now then, I don't do so in drilling you, but the best way to teach a man anything is by letting him go his own way, and then correcting his mistakes. Now, are you ready, both of you, and done with your nonsense?"

"Yes, we are quite serious now," I said.

"Then, to begin with, you, Master Burr, stand up before me, and hit me hard in the chest."

"But it will hurt you," I said.

"You do as I tell you. Hit me in the chest as hard as you can."

I stood up in front of him, and punched him with the soft glove just below his chin.

"Do you call that hard? Try again."

I struck him again.

"Better," he said; "but it wouldn't have killed a blue-bottle. Now you, Master Mercer."

"I'll hit you hard, then, if you will not mind."

"Tchah! just as if you could hurt me! Go on."

Mercer flew at him and struck with all his might.

"Better," said Lomax; "that might have killed a blue-bottle. But it is just as I thought; you're both wrong."

"Wrong?" we echoed.

"Of course you are. So those two gave you both a good thrashing, eh?"

"Yes," I said bitterly.

"Of course they would if you behaved like that. What are those hanging down by your sides?"

"Arms," I said wonderingly.

"Then why do you treat 'em as if they were wind-mill sails, and swing 'em round that fashion?"

"Then you ought to hit straight out," I said, "and not swing your arms round?"

"Of course," said our instructor; "but that isn't all. You both hit at me with your right glove."

"Of course. The right arm's the stronger."

"Exactly, my lad; so keep it to use as a shield."

"But you want to beat a boy when you fight him," I said.

"To be sure you do, and to beat him you must be strong and able to hold out, and to do this you must be ready to keep him first of all from injuring you. It's self-defence, so you keep your best arm to keep the enemy from making your nose swelled like yours was, Master Mercer, and from sticking his fist in your eye like Master Dicksee did in yours, Master Burr. And that isn't all. If you are keeping him from hurting you, he goes on getting tired and more tired, and then your turn comes, and you can thrash him."

"I see," cried Mercer.

"No, you don't; you're only getting a peep yet."

"But mustn't you ever hit with your right fist?"

"Oh yes, at proper times. Wait: I'll tell you when."

"But shall we begin fighting now?" I said eagerly.

"No, not till you know what you're going to do. Now look here, boys; I daresay some people would teach you very differently to what I do, but you've asked me, and I shall teach you my way. Some people let those they teach put the gloves on and begin knocking each other about, but that's all waste of time. I want everything you do with your right or your left to be for some reason. Those two boys can't fight, but they thrashed you two because I can see you swung your arms about anyhow, and while you were coming round with one of your wind-mill swings, they hit straight out and you had it. Do you see?"

"Not quite," I said.

"Then look here. See that round table turned up in the corner?"

"Yes."

"Suppose, then, two flies started from the edge to get to the opposite edge, and one went round and the other right across straight, which would get there first?"

"Oh, I know that," said Mercer, rubbing his nose with the back of his glove; "the one that went across the diameter ever so much sooner than the one that went half round the circumference."

"Yes," I said; "the chord is shorter than the arc."

"Never mind about your fine way of putting it," said Lomax. "I see you understand, and that's what I mean. The enemy would diameter you while you tried to circumference him."

The serjeant laughed at his ready adoption of our words, and we laughed too, but he cried "'Tention!" again, and now made us stand face to face on guard, manipulating us and walking round till he had us exactly to his taste, when he suddenly remembered something, and, taking a piece of chalk from his pocket, he drew a line between us, and then raised our hands with their huge gloves to the pitch he considered correct.

"There you are, boys," he said; "that couldn't be better. Now, bear in mind what I said; self-defence is the thing you've got to aim at, just as a general manages his regiments and fences with them till the proper time comes, and then he lets them go. Now, to begin with, you must be the enemy, Master Mercer, and Master Burr here's got to thrash you."

"Oh!" cried Mercer.

"Well, your turn will come next. Now then. Ready?"

"Yes," we cried.

"Then you, Mercer, hit him in the chest."

"And what shall I do?"

"Don't let him. You've got your right ready, haven't you? Now then, off!"

We were both terribly excited, and I was on my guard as Mercer hit at me with his soft glove, and I caught the blow on my right arm.

"Good!" cried Lomax; "bravo! well stopped. But that's all you did, because you didn't know any better. If you had known better, Master Mercer would be sitting on the floor."

"What ought I to have done, then?" I said.

"You wait and I'll show you. Now, Mercer, hit at him again. Hit this time. That's a boxing-glove you've got on."

"Well, I know it is."

"Oh, I thought you fancied it was a snowball that you were going to throw at him."

I burst out laughing.

"Silence! 'Tention! Now then, again. Wait a minute. Now, look here, Burr: as he hits at you, stop it with your right arm as you did before, and just at the same moment you push your left arm out full length, and lean forward straight at his face. Don't hit at him, only keep your left out straight and lean forward suddenly--like this."

He showed me what he meant, and I balanced myself on my legs, and imitated him as well as I could, to get the swing forward he wished, and we prepared for the next encounter.

"I'm going to hit straight out this time, Frank, so look out."

"Oh yes, he'll look out," cried Lomax. "Now, then, take it on your right arm, my lad. Off with you."

Mercer struck out at me awkwardly, and, as I received the blow at my chest full on my forearm, I bent forward sharply, not striking, but giving what seemed to me to be a push with my stiffened left arm straight at Mercer's face, when, to my great astonishment, he went down on the floor and sat there staring at me holding the soft glove up against his nose.

"What did you do that for?" he cried angrily. "He said I was to hit, not you."

"Because I told him," said Lomax, patting me on the shoulder. "Bravo, bravo! That was science against brute force, my lad; I thought it would astonish you."

"But he hit ever so hard," cried Mercer, "and it took me off my guard, because it was I who was to hit."

"And so you did, my lad, as hard as you could unscientifically, while he only just threw himself forward scientifically, and there you are on the ground."

"But he hit so hard."

"Oh no. He just held his arm right, and threw the weight of his body behind it."

"Here, let's change sides," cried Mercer. "I want to try that."

"Right," said Lomax, and the proceedings were reversed, with the effect that, after I had struck at my adversary, I realised that I had thrown my head forward just as he had thrust out his rigid left arm, backed by the whole weight of his body, and I in my turn went down sitting, almost as much astounded as Mercer had been.

"Oh," he cried excitedly, "that's grand! I wish I had known that when old Eely was giving it to me t'other day. Why, I feel as if I could go and lick him now."

"I daresay you do," cried Lomax laughing. "Now, let's have that over again. I want you both to see that a swing round blow, or even a straight out blow, is nothing to one like that, for you see you've got the weight of the body and the speed at which you are both moving to give it force. Why, in a charge, when the men were at full gallop with swords or lances extended, we had--But never mind about that," he added quickly. "Now do you see what I mean?"

"Yes," we cried, and we went through the attack and defence over and over again, till the blows grew so vigorous that I began to feel as if I should like to hit harder.

"That will do," said Lomax suddenly. "You are both getting warm, and it's half-past six."

"Nonsense!" I cried.

"It is, my lad; there goes the bell. Now then, let me untie those gloves. That's your first lesson. What do you think of it?"

"Think of it?" cried Mercer. "I think old Eely Burr had better mind what he's up to, or he'll find he has made a mistake."

"Hah!" said Lomax, "don't you get too puffed up, my lad. You wait, for you don't know anything at all yet. That's just the thin end of the wedge, but still I think you've learned something. That's it," he continued, drawing off the gloves. "By and by you'll have to fight against me, and I shall show you a few things that will startle you. But are you satisfied?"

"Why, it's glorious!" I cried.

"What? to learn to fight with your fists?" said the old sergeant grimly.

"No, but to feel that you need not let everybody bully you."

"Why, you're getting as swollen up as Master Mercer here," said Lomax, laughing. "There; when is it to be--to-morrow morning?"

"Yes, every morning," said Mercer, and the door was unbolted, and we went out, feeling quite hot enough, with the sun shining brightly on the newly dew-washed leaves.

"You'll spoil everything," I said, "if you begin to show that you can fight before we are quite ready."

"Oh, but I'm not going to," he replied; "I'll be as quiet as can be, and let old Eely say and do what he likes for the present. I feel as if I can bear it now. Don't you? There, come along up into the loft, and let's see if we can find our ferret. It does seem hard to lose that directly. Just, too, as one finds one has been cheated by old Magglin. I wish he'd sell that gun. I say, I'll make him show it to you. It is such a handy little thing."

I felt that it would be very interesting to go out, as Mercer proposed, shooting specimens, which he would afterwards show me how to skin and preserve; but I could not help thinking that it would take a rather large supply of pocket-money to pay for all the things my companion wanted, especially if his wants included guns and watches.

We went right up to the loft, and a search was made, and the floor stamped upon, and the boards tapped. But there was no sign of the ferret, and we gave up the search at last in despair, as it was rapidly approaching the time when the bell would ring for breakfast, and we had our lessons to look up ready for Mr Hasnip, who now had us, as he called it, thoroughly in hand.

We both smiled and looked at one another as we crossed the yard, for Burr major and Dicksee had come past together, the latter listening attentively to his companion's words.

"Oh, I say, Burr, if they only knew!" whispered Mercer, with a chuckle. "They little think that we've been--Oh, I say, look; he's taking out his watch to see if it's right by the big clock. Frank, I say: I do wish I had a watch like that!"

I looked at him wonderingly once more, for that watch had completely fascinated him, and till breakfast-time he could talk of nothing else.

"Think your uncle would give you a watch if you asked him?" he said.

"I shouldn't like to ask him, because--well, I'm rather afraid of him."

"What, isn't he kind to you?"

"Yes, I think so," I said; "but he's a severe-looking sort of man, and very particular, and I don't think he'd consider it right for me to have a watch while I am at school."

"That's what my father said when I was home for last holidays. I wanted a watch then, but not half so bad as I feel to want one now. I say!"

"Well?"

"I wonder how much old Eely's father gave for that one. I don't think it could have cost a very great deal."

I shook my head, for I had not the least idea, and then I found myself watching Burr major, who was still comparing his watch with the great clock.

"I won't think about it any more," said Mercer suddenly.

"Think of what?" I said wonderingly.

"That watch. It worries me. I was dreaming about it all last night, and wishing that I'd got it somehow, and that it was mine. And it isn't, and never can be, can it?"

"No," I said, and we walked into the big room, for the breakfast-bell began to ring, and very welcome it sounded to us, after being up so early, and indulging in such violent exercise.

"Here comes Eely," whispered Mercer, "and old Dicksee too. I say: that punch with the left! Oh my!" _

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