I have now made you as wise as myself upon the subject of moving the body and the limbs, which indeed is all the mechanism of swordsmanship. A few words before we separate. Why have these positions and these movements been chosen, been universally approved of by the civilised world? The reply is because they are intuitive and instinctive. See how the races that use the knife naturally seize it with the right hand, drape the cloak round the left arm, and, under cover of the body, prepare the weapon for a fatal thrust. " I'm certain," Shughtie said, " that they are wrong. Have the cloak if you like, it may always be useful, but hold your bowie-point to the fore as if it were a sword. Why, man, you've quoted Achille Marozzo, and already you forget hie principles. There are two common ways of using the knife underhand and overhand. Underhand is rare, being easily stopped; overhand, if you treat it as I would, may be received upon the point. An acquaintance of mine had a third way, which was not without its merits. He rejoiced in the sobriquet of ' Flat-footed Jack,' being, or rather having been, one of Her Gracious Majesty's hard naval bargains. The Argentine gargotti's not a bad place for knife practice. The Flat-footed in his cups would quarrel with hie own hat; hence many a difficulty. When cuchillos are drawn Senor Spaniard, old or new hemisphere, hae a silly habit of showing off. The world must see the curved beauties of his deadly blade. It's like the Tartar prince, who by herald informs the kings of the earth that they may dine, as he has finished his meal of mare's milk. And it's quite unlike the sensible Japanese, who, holding the scabbard in the left hand, draws hie sword with so little loss of time that he opens his man from belt to shoulder." A very old manoeuvre of the Italian and German schools, I interposed. " Well," resumed Shughtie, " while the particular Don was intent upon his gambado, Flat-footed Jack suddenly let fly at him a perfectly straight thrust with a common whittle some 6in. long, and worth when new 4d. He was only careful to put his thumb along the bone handle. Of course, every blow killed. I should be afraid to name the number of our countryman's triumphs." This was a long speech for Shughtie. I knew that he would not readily do it again, and resumed. Such, then, is the rule of the sword we will drop the knife - and it is based upon nature and truth, upon practice and experience.
