Skepsey muttered jealously of their having been trained.

The song, which drew Dartrey Fenellan to the quick of an English home, planted him at the same time in Africa to hear it.  Dewy on a parched forehead it fell, England the shedding heaven.

He fetched a deep breath, as of gratitude for vital refreshment.  He had his thoughts upon the training of our English to be something besides the machinery of capitalists, and upon the country as a blessed mother instead of the most capricious of maudlin step-dames.

He flicked his leg with the stick he carried, said:  ’Your master’s the man to make a change among them, old friend!’ and strolled along to a group surrounding two fellows who shammed a bout at single-stick.  Vacuity in the attack on either side, contributed to the joint success of the defense.  They paused under inspection; and Dartrey said:  ’You’re burning to give them a lesson, Skepsey.’

Skepsey had no objection to his hero’s doing so, though at his personal cost.

The sticks were handed to them; the crowd increased; their rounders boys had spied them, and came trooping to the scene.  Skepsey was directed to hit in earnest.  His defensive attitude flashed, and he was at head and right and left leg, and giving point, recovering, thrusting madly, and again at shoulder and thigh, with bravos for reward of a man meaning business; until a topper on his hat, a cut over the right thigh, and the stick in his middlerib, told the spectators of a scientific adversary; and loudly now the gentleman was cheered.  An undercurrent of warm feeling ran for the plucky little one at it hot again in spite of the strokes, and when he fetched his master a handsome thud across the shoulder, and the gentleman gave up and complimented him, Skepsey had applause.

He then begged his hero to put the previous couple in position, through a few of the opening movements.  They were horribly sheepish at first.  Meantime two boys had got hold of sticks, and both had gone to work in Skepsey’s gallant style; and soon one was howling.  He excused himself, because of the funny-bone, situated, in his case, higher than usual up the arm.  And now the pair of men were giving and taking cuts to make a rhinoceros caper.

‘Very well; begin that way; try what you can bear,’ said Dartrey.

Skepsey watched them, in felicity for love of the fray, pained by the disregard of science.

Comments on the pretty play, indicating a reminiscent acquaintance with it, and the capacity for critical observations, were started.  Assaults, wonderful tricks of a slashing Life-Guardsman, one spectator had witnessed at an exhibition in a London hall.  Boxing too.  You may see displays of boxing still in places.  How about a prizefight?—­With money on it?—­Eh, but you don’t expect men to stand up to be knocked into rumpsteaks for nothing?—­No, but it’s they there bets!—­Right, and that’s a game gone to ruin along of outsiders.—­But it always was and it always will be popular with Englishmen!