"I want to see fair play," I said.
Welsh kept shouting that he could "fecht the hale schule wi' wan hand
tied ahent 'is back."
In this district school fights have an etiquette of their own. One boy
touches the other on the arm saying: "There's the dunt!" The other
returns the touch with the same remark. If he fails to return it he
receives a harder dunt on the arm with the words, "And there's the
coordly!" If he fails to return that also he is accounted the loser, and
the small boys throw divots at him.
Steel began in the usual way with his: "There's the dunt!" Welsh
promptly hit him in the teeth and knocked him down. The boys appealed to
me.
"No," I said, "Welsh didn't know the rules. After this you should shake
hands as you do in boxing."
Welsh never had a chance. He had no science; he came on with his arms
swinging in windmill fashion. Jim stepped aside and drove a straight
left to the jaw, and before Welsh knew what was happening Jim landed him
on the nose with his right. Welsh began to weep, and I stopped the
fight. I told him that Steel had the advantage because I had taught my
boys the value of a straight left, but that I would give him a few
lessons with the gloves later on. Then I asked how the quarrel had
arisen. As I had conjectured Steel and Welsh had no real quarrel. Welsh
had cuffed little Geordie Burnett's ears, and Geordie had cried, "Ye
wudna hit Jim Steel!" Welsh had no alternative but to reply: "Wud Aw
no!" Straightway Geordie had run off to Steel saying: "Hi! Jim! Peter
Welsh says he'll fecht ye!"
So far as I can remember all my own battles at school were arranged by
disobliging little boys in this manner. If Jock Tamson said to me: "Bob
Young cud aisy fecht ye and ca' yer nose up among yer hair!" I, as a man
of honour, had to reply: "Aw'll try Bob Young ony day he likes!" And
even if Bob were my bosom friend, I would have to face him at the brig
at four o'clock.
I noticed that the girls were all on Steel's side before the fight
began, and obviously on Welsh's side when he was beaten, the bissoms!