SABREv.BAYONET.

While writing on this subject, the fencing names of the parries will be used, viz.:—

In describing how to deal with a man armed with a rifle and bayonet, it will be necessary to explain his methods of attack and defence.

A bayonet should be used like a foil, but in consequence of its weight and general unwieldiness, the simple movements of the latter weapon can only be executed by it, and as the sabre, from its weight and shape, is similarly circumstanced, the two arms, in that respect, are on equal terms.

PLATE XXI.—ENGAGING GUARD.

PLATE XXI.Engaging Guard.

A bayoneteer, therefore, engages in tierce or quarte, from which he can make the following attacks:—

A straight thrust.

A disengagement.

Feint a straight thrust and disengage.

“One, Two” (feint a disengagement into one line and disengage into another).

All his straight thrusts or disengagements over your blade may be parried with prime, and all those under your blade with seconde.

These parries are stronger than tierce and quarte, and are, therefore, better adapted for parrying such a heavy weapon as a rifle and bayonet.

They also defend the head and leg as well as the body, while the others only guard the breast.

Tierce and quarte may, however, be occasionally used against his thrusts at the breast. A greater variety of returns would be thereby obtained.

How to Parry, “Feint a Straight Thrust, and Disengage.”

His feint of a straight thrust, when engaged under the blade and disengagement over the blade, may be parried with seconde and prime.

His feint of a straight thrust, when engaged over the blade and disengagement under the blade, may be parried with prime and seconde.

His “One, Two” below and above your blade may be parried with seconde and prime, and his “One, Two” above and below your blade with prime and seconde.

If he should deceive your quarte by feinting in quarte and thrusting in tierce, parry tierce.

If he deceive your tierce by “One, Two,” parry seconde.

Should you at any time foresee that he is going to attack with “One, Two,” do not answer the feint, but wait and parry his last movement.

Your parries, which should be made with the edge of the forte of the sword, must be close, and finished with firmness, without stiffness or too much force.

RETURNS.

The best returns from the different parries are the following, placed in the order of their comparative merits; but their application should greatly depend on the adversary’s defence.

PLATE XXII.—PARRY OF TIERCE.

PLATE XXII.PARRY OF TIERCE.

PLATE XXIII.—PARRY OF QUARTE.

PLATE XXIII.PARRY OF QUARTE.

A man thus armed engages in quarte or tierce, but standing with his left foot in front, his quarte will be your tierce and his tierce your quarte; that is, his right side is his quarte and your right side is your tierce, andvice versâ.

He will parry attacks made at the right side of his head or body with quarte, and those made at the left side of the head or body with tierce.

He will defend the top of his head with prime and his leg with half-circle. In both of these guards his left arm is very much exposed.

The following attacks without a feint may be made:—

Cut at his left wrist.

Thrust straight when the line in which he is engaged is not closed.

Disengage with a thrust either from tierce to quarte or from quarte to tierce.

PLATE XXIV.—CUT INSIDE OF WRIST AFTER FEINT AT HEAD TO DECEIVE PRIME.

Feint at head and thrust under his guard. (Hand in tierce and opposite your right shoulder.)

Ditto, and cut inside his left wrist (videPlateXXIV.).

Ditto, ditto, inside his leg.

PLATE XXV.—CUT AT HEAD AFTER FEINT AT INSIDE LEG TO DECEIVE HALF-CIRCLE.

PLATE XXV.To Deceive his Half-Circle.

Feint at inside of leg, and thrust at left breast over the guard. (Hand in quarte and opposite your left shoulder.)

Ditto, and cut at his head (videPlateXXV.). Ditto, ditto, at his left wrist.

PLATE XXVI.—THRUST IN QUARTE AFTER FEINT IN TIERCE. “ONE, TWO” TO DECEIVE TIERCE.

PLATE XXVI.To Deceive his Tierce.

Feint a thrust in tierce (his left breast) and disengage with a thrust into quarte “One, Two.” (Hand in tierce and opposite your right shoulder,videPlateXXVI.)

Feint a cut at his left side and cut at his right.

Ditto, ditto, at his left cheek and cut at his right.

PLATE XXVII.—THRUST UNDER LEFT ARM AFTER FEINT IN QUARTE TO DECEIVE QUARTE.

PLATE XXVII.To Deceive his Quarte.

Feint a thrust in quarte (his right breast) and disengage with a thrust in tierce “One, Two.” (Hand in quarte and opposite your left shoulder.)

Feint a thrust in quarte, and disengage under his left arm “One, Two, Low.” (Hand in quarte and opposite your left shoulder,videPlateXXVII.)

Feint a cut at his right side and cut at his left arm.

Ditto at his right cheek and cut at his left.

All the above-named attacks may be preceded by a beat or an advance and beat.

The stop thrusts, time thrusts with opposition, remise, redouble, and reprise can be made upon you by a man armed with a gun and bayonet, and you can use them against him under the same circumstances as when opposed to a sabre.

To avoid his stop thrusts, you must adopt the methods recommended when opposed to a man who engages in tierce or quarte (videpage78).

The bayoneteer has the longer weapon. You have the handier one. You must therefore use such tactics as will give it the advantage.

On taking guard, keep out of distance, and by feinting, endeavour to find out whether, if you attack him, he will parry or counter with a thrust, which some men, relying on the superior length of the rifle and bayonet, do when attacked.

If you think that the latter is his intention, make false attacks, as described in page76, and draw out his thrust, which, having guarded, return with the greatest rapidity. A counter with a bayonet must be avoided by every means possible.

Should you see that he is disposed to guard, you may attack him without much fear of a counter.

You should not attack too often, but rely more upon your guard and quick return. When, however, you do attack, use the feints very much. Doing so gives the advantage to the handier weapon.

Your returns, in which the thrust should take a prominent part, must be made with the greatest rapidity, and the opposition in them, as in the attacks, strictly maintained, so that he cannot possibly deliver a remise thrust.

PLATE XXVIII.—HOW TO SEIZE THE RIFLE AFTER PARRYING PRIME.

PLATE XXVIII.How to Seize the Rifle after Parrying Prime.

If you at any time have an opportunity of parrying his thrusts with your left hand, or of seizing the barrel of his rifle with it, do so. You must not then struggle and try to get it out of his hands, but must deliver a cut or thrust as quickly as possible. In an actual combat you would then have little difficulty in getting his weapon should you want it.

A good time to attempt this is when, after you have parried prime, he does not recover quickly to his guard. You should then step forward quickly with the left foot, and, seizing the rifle, pull it down and towards you, so that he cannot reverse it to strike you with the butt.

PLATE XXIX.—HOW TO SEIZE THE RIFLE AFTER PARRYING QUARTE.

PLATE XXIX.How to Seize the Rifle after Parrying Quarte.

Or you may sometimes get hold of it after your parry of quarte, when he is slow in recovering. It will not then be necessary to step forward with the left foot, as your parry will almost send his weapon into your left hand.

Some men when thrusting leave go of the rifle with the left hand. When your adversary does this and you get hold of it, a quick and sudden pull will draw it out of his other hand, or perhaps pull him on his knees.

The dress should be the same as that worn when practising with sabres, except that the man using the bayonet should have the pad on his left leg, and both should wear a well-padded fencing or boxing glove on each hand.

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