Again, in thrusting at him, if you keep your hand as high as your shoulder, and in a line with your right shoulder, you will protect the upper half of your own body from a counter, so that, even if your thrust fails and does not get home, the upper part of your blade will stop his cut. It is necessary to study so to attack your opponent that, in the very act of delivering a cut or thrust, you may stop him in as many lines or directions of attack as possible. If you find your man will counter in spite of all that you can do, take advantage of this habit of his by feinting a cut to draw his counter, stop this, and return. This will have the effect of making him do the leading, which will be all in your favour. HITS, GUARDS, FEINTS, ETC. For the purposes of instruction and description, the principal hits in single-stick have been numbered and described according to the parts of the body at which they are aimed. There are four principal hits: (1) a cut at your opponent's left cheek; (2) a cut at his right cheek; (3) a cut at his left ribs; (4) a cut at his right ribs. 5 and 6 are mere repetitions of 3 and 4 on a lower level, guarded in the same way, and aimed at the inside and outside of the right leg instead of at the ribs. In the accompanying cuts numbered 28, 29, 30, 31, the four principal attacks and the stops for them have been illustrated, and with their help and a long looking-glass in front of him the young player ought to be able to put himself into fairly good position. [Illustration: Fig. 28.--Cut 1 and guard.] [Illustration: Fig. 29.--Cut 2 and guard.] In addition to the cuts there is the point, which, as our forefathers discovered, is far more deadly than the edge. Of this more later on. Almost every cut is executed upon the lunge. As you and your adversary engage, you are practically out of each other's range unless you lunge. Standing in the first position the heels are two feet apart. On the lunge, I have seen Corporal-Major Blackburn, a man, it is true, over six feet in height, measure, from his left heel to a point on the floor, level with his sword point, nearly ten feet. This gives some idea of what is to be expected from a man who can lunge properly. To do this, throw out the right foot as far as it will go to the front, keeping the heels still in line and the right foot straight.