Chapter 30

"Oh, but Tom, are you much hurt? I can't bear thinking it was all for me."

"Not a bit of it, don't flatter yourself. We were sure to have had it out sooner or later."

"Well, but you won't go on, will you? You'll promise me you won't go on."

"Can't tell about that--all depends on the houses. We're in the hands of our countrymen, you know. Must fight for the school-house flag, if so be."

And now, boys all, three words before we quit the subject. I have put in this chapter on fighting of malice prepense, partly because I want to give you a true picture of what every-day school life was in my time and partly because of the cant and twaddle that's talked of boxing and fighting with fists now-a-days. Even Thackeray has given in to it; and only a few weeks ago there was some rampant stuff in the _Times_ on the subject.

Boys will quarrel, and when they quarrel will sometimes fight. Fighting with fists is the natural English way for English boys to settle their quarrels. What substitute for it is there, or ever was there, among any nation under the sun? What would you like to see take its place?

Learn to box, then, as you learn to play cricket and football. Not one of you will be the worse, but very much the better for learning to box well. Should you never have to use it in earnest, there's no exercise in the world so good for the temper, and for the muscles of the back and legs.

As to fighting, keep out of it if you can, by all means. When the time comes, if it ever should, that you have to say "Yes" or "No" to a challenge to fight, say "No" if you can--only take care you make it clear to yourselves why you say "No." It's a proof of the highest courage, if done from true Christian motives. It's quite right and justifiable, if done from a simple aversion to physical pain and danger. But don't say "No" because you fear a licking, and say or think it's because you fear God, for that's neither Christian nor honest. And if you do fight, fight it out; and don't give in while you can stand and see.

PRONUNCIATION OF PROPER NAMES

NOTE.--The pronunciation of difficult words is indicated by respelling them phonetically. _N_ is used to indicate the French nasal sound; _K_ the sound of _ch_ in German; _ü_ the sound of the German _ü_, and French _u; ö_ the sound of _ö_ in foreign languages.

AGINCOURT, _aj' in kort_, or _ah zhaN koor'_

ATHELSTANE, _ath' el stane_

AYTOUN, (Wai. E.) _ay' toon_

CAERLEON, _kahr le' on_

CHEYENNE, _shi en'_

DUQUESNE, _du kayn'_

FROUDE, _frood_

GALAHAD, _gal' a had_

GHENT, _gent_

GRANTMESNIL, _groN ma neel'_

GUINEVERE, _gwin' e veer_

HOUYHNHNMS, _hoo' in 'ms_

LEIODES, _le o' deez_

MARACAIBO, _mahr ah ki' bo_

OTAHEITE, _o tah he' te_

POITIERS, _pwaht ya'_

SEINE, _sayn_

SIOUX, _soo_

SKALD, _skawld_