“O, by George!” I cried, reddening at the insult.

“Cool is the word,” said Adams, as he bound a handkerchief round my head, and carefully tucked away the long straggling locks that offered a tempting advantage to the enemy.  “Who ever heard of a fellow with such a head of hair going into action!” muttered Phil, twitching the handkerchief to ascertain if it were securely tied.  He then loosened my gallowses (braces), and buckled them tightly above my hips.  “Now, then, bantam, never say die!”

Conway regarded these business-like preparations with evident misgiving, for he called Rodgers to his side, and had himself arrayed in a similar manner, though his hair was cropped so close that you couldn’t have taken hold of it with a pair of tweezers.

“Is your man ready?” asked Phil Adams, addressing Rodgers.

“Ready!”

“Keep your back to the gate, Tom,” whispered Phil in my car, “and you’ll have the sun in his eyes.”

Behold us once more face to face, like David and the Philistine.  Look at us as long as you may; for this is all you shall see of the combat.  According to my thinking, the hospital teaches a better lesson than the battle-field.  I will tell you about my black eye, and my swollen lip, if you will; but not a word of the fight.

You’ll get no description of it from me, simply because I think it would prove very poor reading, and not because I consider my revolt against Conway’s tyranny unjustifiable.

I had borne Conway’s persecutions for many months with lamb-like patience.  I might have shielded myself by appealing to Mr. Grimshaw; but no boy in the Temple Grammar School could do that without losing caste.  Whether this was just or not doesn’t matter a pin, since it was so—­a traditionary law of the place.  The personal inconvenience I suffered from my tormentor was nothing to the pain he inflicted on me indirectly by his persistent cruelty to little Binny Wallace.  I should have lacked the spirit of a hen if I had not resented it finally.  I am glad that I faced Conway, and asked no favors, and got rid of him forever.  I am glad that Phil Adams taught me to box, and I say to all youngsters:  Learn to box, to ride, to pull an oar, and to swim.  The occasion may come round, when a decent proficiency in one or the rest of these accomplishments will be of service to you.

In one of the best books (1) ever written for boys are these words: 

“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.