“And so you did, my lad, as hard as you could unscientifically, while he only just threw himself forward scientifically, and there you are on the ground.”
“But he hit so hard.”
“Oh no. He just held his arm right, and threw the weight of his body behind it.”
“Here, let’s change sides,” cried Mercer. “I want to try that.”
“Right,” said Lomax, and the proceedings were reversed, with the effect that, after I had struck at my adversary, I realised that I had thrown my head forward just as he had thrust out his rigid left arm, backed by the whole weight of his body, and I in my turn went down sitting, almost as much astounded as Mercer had been.
“Oh,” he cried excitedly, “that’s grand! I wish I had known that when old Eely was giving it to me t’other day. Why, I feel as if I could go and lick him now.”
“I daresay you do,” cried Lomax laughing. “Now, let’s have that over again. I want you both to see that a swing round blow, or even a straight out blow, is nothing to one like that, for you see you’ve got the weight of the body and the speed at which you are both moving to give it force. Why, in a charge, when the men were at full gallop with swords or lances extended, we had— But never mind about that,” he added quickly. “Now do you see what I mean?”
“Yes,” we cried, and we went through the attack and defence over and over again, till the blows grew so vigorous that I began to feel as if I should like to hit harder.
“That will do,” said Lomax suddenly. “You are both getting warm, and it’s half-past six.”
“Nonsense!” I cried.