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, tofind 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 undermy pillow, and seen directly."
"No, you couldn't," I said grumpily, for I was sleepy and cross; "it'stoo 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 thetwelve 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 gotit--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, anddon'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'stwelve o'clock yet. Look at the stars shining."
"Well, they always do shine, don't they? What's that got to do withit?"
"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 thenthere 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 wecould 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 anddisturbing 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 youdon'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 adelicious nap, from which my tormentor roused me twice more, to declareit must be time to get up; but there was not a faint gleam of light yetat the window, and I resolutely refused to rise, sending my companionback to bed, and going off again, to wake at last with the sun shiningbrilliantly in by the curtain. This time I jumped up, with the fullimpression upon me that I had overslept myself; while there lay Merceron his back, with his mouth wide-open, and giving vent every now andthen 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 thepassage, where I could look out and see the sun shining brightly on thegold letters of the clock face, where, to my great delight, the handspointed to half-past four.
Plenty of time, and I went back and roused up Mercer, who started intowakefulness, 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 wakethe others."
We washed and dressed with wonderful celerity, and then crept out anddown-stairs, to open one of the schoolroom windows, jump out, and closeit after us. Then, in the delicious fresh morning, with the trees alldewy, we started off to go through the shrubbery, and were half-way tothe lodge, when Mercer caught me by the arm.
"Look!" he said. "Magglin!" and there, going across one of the fieldsbeyond the road, was that individual, with the pockets of his jacketseeming 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 thelodge, to find Lomax standing at the door smoking his morning pipe.
"Five minutes before your time," he said. "That's a good sign. Youboth want to learn, so you'll learn quickly. Wait a minute, I've justdone my bad habit. I learned that years ago, and it's hard to breakoneself 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 tappingthe 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 hadbeen taken out, and the little square of carpet and hearthrug rolled uptogether and stood in a corner, while on the window sill lay the twopairs of boxing-gloves, like four hugely swollen giants' hands, and theylooked so ridiculous that we both laughed.
"'Tention!" cried Lomax, shutting and bolting the door. "Business! Youcan laugh after. Now then, put them on."
We readily obeyed, and as each glove was put on, Lomax tied themsecurely in their places by the stout strings at the wrists, and oncemore our comical aspect was too much for us, and we laughed moreuproariously than before.
"'Tention, I say, boys. Silence! Now then, I don't do so in drillingyou, but the best way to teach a man anything is by letting him go hisown way, and then correcting his mistakes. Now, are you ready, both ofyou, 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 mehard 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 justbelow 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 isjust 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 hangingdown 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 armsround?"
"Of course," said our instructor; "but that isn't all. You both hit atme 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 holdout, and to do this you must be ready to keep him first of all frominjuring you. It's self-defence, so you keep your best arm to keep theenemy from making your nose swelled like yours was, Master Mercer, andfrom 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 hurtingyou, 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; Idaresay some people would teach you very differently to what I do, butyou've asked me, and I shall teach you
my way. Some people let thosethey teach put the gloves on and begin knocking each other about, butthat's all waste of time. I want everything you do with your right oryour left to be for some reason. Those two boys can't fight, but theythrashed you two because I can see you swung your arms about anyhow, andwhile you were coming round with one of your wind-mill swings, they hitstraight 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 oppositeedge, and one went round and the other right across straight, whichwould get there first?"
"Oh, I know that," said Mercer, rubbing his nose with the back of hisglove; "the one that went across the diameter ever so much sooner thanthe 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 youunderstand, and that's what I mean. The enemy would diameter you whileyou tried to circumference him."
The serjeant laughed at his ready adoption of our words, and we laughedtoo, but he cried "'Tention!" again, and now made us stand face to faceon guard, manipulating us and walking round till he had us exactly tohis taste, when he suddenly remembered something, and, taking a piece ofchalk from his pocket, he drew a line between us, and then raised ourhands with their huge gloves to the pitch he considered correct.
"There you are, boys," he said; "that couldn't be better. Now, bear inmind what I said; self-defence is the thing you've got to aim at, justas a general manages his regiments and fences with them till the propertime comes, and then he lets them go. Now, to begin with, you must bethe 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 mewith 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, MasterMercer 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 thistime. 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 tothrow 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, andlean forward straight at his face. Don't hit at him, only keep yourleft out straight and lean forward suddenly--like this."
He showed me what he meant, and I balanced myself on my legs, andimitated him as well as I could, to get the swing forward he wished, andwe 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 yourright arm, my lad. Off with you."
Mercer struck out at me awkwardly, and, as I received the blow at mychest full on my forearm, I bent forward sharply, not striking, butgiving what seemed to me to be a push with my stiffened left armstraight at Mercer's face, when, to my great astonishment, he went downon the floor and sat there staring at me holding the soft glove upagainst 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 wouldastonish 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 heonly just threw himself forward scientifically, and there you are on theground."
"But he hit so hard."
"Oh no. He just held his arm right, and threw the weight of his bodybehind it."
"Here, let's change sides," cried Mercer. "I want to try that."
"Right," said Lomax, and the proceedings were reversed, with the effectthat, after I had struck at my adversary, I realised that I had thrownmy head forward just as he had thrust out his rigid left arm, backed bythe whole weight of his body, and I in my turn went down sitting, almostas much astounded as Mercer had been.
"Oh," he cried excitedly, "that's grand! I wish I had known that whenold Eely was giving it to me t'other day. Why, I feel as if I could goand lick him now."
"I daresay you do," cried Lomax laughing. "Now, let's have that overagain. I want you both to see that a swing round blow, or even astraight out blow, is nothing to one like that, for you see you've gotthe weight of the body and the speed at which you are both moving togive it force. Why, in a charge, when the men were at full gallop withswords or lances extended, we had--But never mind about that," he addedquickly. "Now do you see what I mean?"
"Yes," we cried, and we went through the attack and defence over andover again, till the blows grew so vigorous that I began to feel as if Ishould like to hit harder.
"That will do," said Lomax suddenly. "You are both getting warm, andit's half-past six."
"Nonsense!" I cried.
"It is, my lad; there goes the bell. Now then, let me untie thosegloves. That's your first lesson. What do you think of it?"
"Think of it?" cried Mercer. "I think old Eely Burr had better mindwhat 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, foryou don't know anything at all yet. That's just the thin end of thewedge, but still I think you've learned something. That's it," hecontinued, drawing off the gloves. "By and by you'll have to fightagainst 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 wewent out, feeling quite hot enough, with the sun shining brightly on thenewly dew-washed leaves.
"You'll spoil everything," I said, "if you begin to show that you canfight before we are quite ready."
"Oh, but I'm not going to," he replied; "I'll be as quiet as can be, andlet old Eely say and do what he likes for the present. I feel as if Ican bear it now. Don't you? There, come along up into the loft, andlet's see if we can find our ferret. It does seem hard to lose thatdirectly. 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 issuch 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 andpreserve; but I could not help thinking that it would take a ratherlarge supply of pocket-money to pay for all the things my companionwanted, especially if his wants included guns and watches.
We went right up to the loft, and a search was made, and the floorstamped upon, and the boards tapped. But there was no sign of theferret, and we gave up the search at last in despair, as it was rapidlyapproaching the time when the bell would ring for breakfast, and we hadour lessons to look up ready for Mr Hasnip, who now had us, as hecalled it, thoroughly in hand.
We both smiled and looked at one another as we crossed the yard, forBurr maj
or and Dicksee had come past together, the latter listeningattentively 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 hiswatch to see if it's right by the big clock. Frank, I say: I do wish Ihad a watch like that!"
I looked at him wonderingly once more, for that watch had completelyfascinated 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, andvery particular, and I don't think he'd consider it right for me to havea watch while I am at school."
"That's what my father said when I was home for last holidays. I wanteda 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 thinkit could have cost a very great deal."
I shook my head, for I had not the least idea, and then I found myselfwatching Burr major, who was still comparing his watch with the greatclock.
"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 itisn't, and never can be, can it?"
"No," I said, and we walked into the big room, for the breakfast-bellbegan to ring, and very welcome it sounded to us, after being up soearly, and indulging in such violent exercise.
"Here comes Eely," whispered Mercer, "and old Dicksee too. I say: thatpunch with the left! Oh my!"