called
aloud, "Sergeant O'Malley, 14th Hussars, get ready," and another
fastened a red band to the Sergeant's arm as he stepped forward, clad
in leather jacket and leg-guards and carrying the heavy
iron-and-leather head-guard necessary in sabre combats, and the
blunt-edged, blunt-pointed sabre.

Dam approached him.

"Don't let my point rest on your hilt, Sergeant," he said.

"What's the game?" inquired the surprised and suspicious Sergeant.

"My little trick. I thrust rather than cut, you know," said Dam.

"I'll watch it, me lad," returned Sergeant O'Malley, wondering whether
Dam were fool or knave.

"Trooper Matthewson, get ready," called the Corporal, and Dam stepped
into the ring, saluted, and faced the Sergeant.

A brief direction and caution, the usual preliminary, and the word--

"On guard--_Play_" and Dam was parrying a series of the quickest cuts
he had ever met. The Sergeant's sword flickered like the tongue of
a--_Snake_. Yes--of a _Snake_! and even as Dam's hand dropped limp and
nerveless, the Sergeant's sword fell with a dull heavy thud on his
head-guard. The stroke would have split Dam's head right neatly, in
actual fighting.

"Stop," shouted the referee. "Point to Red."

"On guard--_Play_"

But if the Sergeant's sword flickered like the tongue of a snake--why
then Dam must be fighting the Snake. _Fighting the Snake_ and in
another second the referee again cried "Stop!" And added, "Don't fight
savage, White, or I'll disqualify you".

"I'm awf'ly sorry," said Dam, "I thought I was fighting the Sn----"

"Hold your tongue, and don't argue," replied the referee sternly.

"On Guard--_Play_."

Ere the Sergeant could move his sword from its upward-inclined
position Dam's blade dropped to its hilt, shot in over it, and as the
Sergeant raised his forearm in guard, flashed beneath it and bent on
his breast.

"Stop," cried the referee. "Point to White. Double"--two marks being
then awarded for the thrust hit, and one for the cut.

"On guard--_Play_."

Absolutely the same thing happened again within the next half-second,
and Dam had won the British Troops' Sword _v_. Sword Dismounted, in
addition to being in for the finals in Tent-pegging, Sword _v_. Sword
Mounted, Jumping (Individual and By Sections), Sword _v_. Lance, and
Tug-of-War.

"Now jest keep orf it, Matthewson, and sweep the bloomin' board,"
urged Troop-Sergeant-Major Scoles as Dam removed his fencing-jacket,
preparatory to returnin