Now as to the stick. There are two forms of guard in common use amongst
players, the hanging and the upright guard, of both of which
illustrations will be found in these pages. In Rowland Yorke's time men
sought for what I think they called "the universal parry" almost as
anxiously as they did for the alchemist's stone which should turn all
things to gold. Of course such a thing has never been found, but either
of these guards, if truly taken and _kept_, will stop the attacks of
most men as long as you keep them at their proper distance.

In passing, let me say that if a man _will_ try to overwhelm you with
rushes, the best thing you can do is to straighten your stick, thrust,
and _don't let the stick run through the basket_. This has a wonderfully
soothing effect upon an excitable player.

In Fig. 27 the upright guard (or high tierce) is shown, in which the
right elbow should be close in to the side, the forearm at right angles
to the body, wrist bent, so as to turn the knuckles outwards, and the
stick pointed upwards, at an angle of about 45 deg. In Fig. 26, the
hanging guard, the point of the stick should be inclined slightly
downwards, the knuckles turned upwards, the forearm should be kept
slightly bent, the hilt a little outside the right knee, the point of
the stick a little low and in the direction of the left front.

If the point of the stick be kept up, the adversary finds a way in by
cutting upwards under the point; if the hilt is not outside the right
knee, the back of the sword arm will be unprotected; and if the sword
arm itself is not kept slightly bent, no effective blow can be
delivered by it without first drawing back the hand.

[Illustration: Fig. 27.--Upright guard, or high tierce.]

This, of course, is a fatal fault. The moment your adversary sees your
hand go back, he will come out. As you retire for the spring, he will
spring. _Time_ is the very essence of single-stick, and the chief object
of the player should be to make his attack in the fewest possible
motions. For this reason a slightly bent arm is necessary when on guard.
Of course if the arm is unduly bent the elbow will be exposed, but a
little practice will soon enable any moderately supple man to so hold
his arm as to be ready to cut direct from his guard and yet keep his
elbow out of peril. And this brings me to a question often discussed
amongst players, viz. which is the better guard, the upright or the
hanging guard, for gene