lag. But he was never willing to act as its
guardian, for he feared nothing so much as inactivity, preferring to
chase his comrades through the woods. The short journey to the Bellevue
woods was passed in the elaboration of various plans, and arguing about
those of his friends; he always wanted to have the last word. The return
journey was enlivened by biting criticism, which often ended in a
quarrel."[8]

[Footnote 7: The country house of Stanislas College is at Bellevue.
[Translator's note.]]

[Footnote 8: Unpublished notes by Abbe Chesnais.]

This is an astonishing portrait, in which nearly all the characteristics
of the future Guynemer, Guynemer the fighter, are apparent. He does not
care to command, he likes too well to give battle, and is already the
knight of single combats. His method is personal, and he means to
follow his own ideas. He attacks the strongest; neither size nor number
stops him. His suppleness and skill are unequaled. He lacks the muscle
for a good gymnast, and at the parallel bars, or the fixed bar, he is
the despair of his instructors. How will he supply this deficiency?
Simply by the power of his will. All physical games do not require
physical strength, and he became an excellent shot and fencer. Furious
at his own weakness, he outdid the strong, and, like Diomede and Ajax,
brought back his trophies laughing. A college courtyard was not
sufficient for him: he needed the Bellevue woods, while he waited to
have all space, all the sky, at his disposal. So the warlike infancy of
a Guynemer is like that of a Roland, a Duguesclin, a Bayard,--all are
ardent hearts with indomitable energy, upright souls developing early,
whose passion it was only necessary to control.

The youth of Guynemer was like his childhood. As a student of higher
mathematics his combative tendencies were not at all changed. "At
recreation he was very fond of roller-skating, which in his case gave
rise to many disputes and much pugilism. Having no respect for boys who
would not play, he would skate into the midst of their group, pushing
them about, seizing their arms and forcing them to waltz round and round
with him like weather-cocks. Then he would be off at his highest speed,
pursued by his victims. Blows were exchanged, which did not prevent him
from repeating the same thing a few seconds later. At the end of
recreation, with his hair disordered, his clothes covered with dust,
his face and hands muddy, Guynemer was exha