“Well, well,” says Jack at last, for his flash of ill-temper had quite gone now, and he was his placid self, “if you must have it, I’ll tell you what I’ll do. To convince the Baron here, that there’s maybe more in the Noble Ar than meets the eye, I’ll engage to stand up in front of him, with my hands down, and let him try to plant me a few facers. What d’ye say to that, sir?” he asks Bismarck.

The German, who had been sitting very disdainful, looked interested despite himself.

“You mean you will let me strike you, without defending yourself?”

Jack grins at him. “I mean I’ll let you try,” says he.

“But I must strike you—unless you run away.”

“I reckon you’re not too clever in our lingo yet,” says Jack, smiling, but looking keen. “What with ‘too old’ and ‘running away’, you know. But don’t worry, mynheer—I’ll stand my ground.”

There was a great commotion while the table was thrust against one wall, and the carpet rolled up, and everyone piled furniture to the sides of the room to leave space for the exhibition. Perceval was the only one who wasn’t delighted at the prospect; “‘Tain’t fair,” says he, “not to a guest; I don’t like it. Ye’ll not hurt him, Jack, d’ye hear?”

“Not a hair of his head,” says old Jack.

“But his vanity may be a bit bruised when he discovers it ain’t so easy to hit a good milling cove as he imagines,” says Speed laughing.

“That’s what I don’t like either,” says Perceval. “It looks as though we’re making a fool of him.”

“Not us,” says I. “He’ll be doing it himself.”

“And serve the German windbag right,” says Spottswood. “Who’s he to tell us our faults, damn him?”

“I still don’t like it,” says Perceval. “Curse you, Flash, this is your doing.” And he mooched away, looking glum.

At the other end of the room Conyngham and one of the other chaps were helping Bismarck off with his coat. You could see he was wondering how the devil he had got into this, but he put a good face on it, pretending to be amused and interested when they fastened the gloves on him and Jack, and explained what was expected of him. Spottswood led the two of them to the centre of the floor, where a line had been chalked on the boards, and holding one on either hand, called for silence.