aughing.

"Don't make such eyes, young 'un," said he, "there's nothing the
matter."

"Oh, but Tom, are you much hurt? I can't bear thinking it was all for
me."

"Not a bit of it, don't flatter yourself. We were sure to have had it
out sooner or later."

"Well, but you won't go on, will you? You'll promise me you won't go
on."

"Can't tell about that--all depends on the houses. We're in the hands of
our countrymen, you know. Must fight for the school-house flag, if so
be."

And now, boys all, three words before we quit the subject. I have put in
this chapter on fighting of malice prepense, partly because I want to
give you a true picture of what every-day school life was in my time and
partly because of the cant and twaddle that's talked of boxing and
fighting with fists now-a-days. Even Thackeray has given in to it; and
only a few weeks ago there was some rampant stuff in the _Times_ on the
subject.

Boys will quarrel, and when they quarrel will sometimes fight. Fighting
with fists is the natural English way for English boys to settle their
quarrels. What substitute for it is there, or ever was there, among any
nation under the sun? What would you like to see take its place?

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.

As to fighting, keep out of it if you can, by all means. When the time
comes, if it ever should, that you have to say "Yes" or "No" to a
challenge to fight, say "No" if you can--only take care you make it
clear to yourselves why you say "No." It's a proof of the highest
courage, if done from true Christian motives. It's quite right and
justifiable, if done from a simple aversion to physical pain and danger.
But don't say "No" because you fear a licking, and say or think it's
because you fear God, for that's neither Christian nor honest. And if
you do fight, fight it out; and don't give in while you can stand and
see.

PRONUNCIATION OF PROPER NAMES

NOTE.--The pronunciation of difficult words is indicated by respelling
them phonetically. _N_ is used to indicate the French nasal sound;
_K_ the sound of _ch_ in German; _ue_ the sound of the
German _ue_, and French _u; oe_ the sound of _oe_ in foreign
languages.

AGINCOURT, _aj' in kort_, or _