m, even if some of
them are a little bit questionable.

ACKNOWLEDGING.

The ordinary form of acknowledgment (and a very graceful one it is) is
accomplished as follows:--On being hit, spring to attention, with your
heels together and body erect, at the same time bringing your sword to
the recover, _i.e._ sword upright in front of your face, thumb in a line
with your mouth, and knuckles outwards.

The acknowledgment should be only a matter of seconds, and when made the
player should come back to the engaging guard and continue the bout.

FOUL HITS.

Of course there are occasions on which the best player cannot help
dealing a foul hit. When this happens there is nothing to be done except
to apologize; but most of these hits may be avoided by a little care and
command of temper. By a foul hit is meant a blow dealt to your opponent
on receiving a blow from him--a hit given, not as an attempt to "time,"
but instead of a guard and, as a matter of fact, given very often on the
"blow for blow" principle.

This, of course, is great nonsense, if you assume, as you should do,
that the weapons are sharp, when such exchanges would be a little more
severe than even the veriest glutton for punishment would care for.

If you only want to see who can stand most hammering with an ash-plant,
then your pads are a mistake and a waste of time. Ten minutes without
them will do more to settle that question than an hour with them on.

There ought to be some way of penalizing the player who, after receiving
a palpable hit himself, fails to acknowledge it, and seizes the
opportunity instead to strike the hardest blow he is able to at the
unprotected shoulder or arm of his adversary.

One more word and we have done with the courtesies of sword-play.

Don't make any remarks either in a competition (this, of course, is
worst of all) or in an ordinary bout. Don't argue, except with the
sticks. Remember that the beau-ideal swordsman is one who fights hard,
with "silent lips and striking hand."

COMPETITIONS.

Once a man has mastered the rudiments of any game and acquired some
considerable amount of dexterity in "loose play," he begins to long to
be pitted against some one else in order to measure his strength. Before
long the limits of his own gymnasium grow too small for his ambition,
and then it is that we may expect to find him looking round for a chance
of earning substantial laurels in public competitions. Unfortunately the
st