IN HIGHER PEOPLES 139 



The fighting instinct survives in all the higher 

 peoples of the earth. It shows itself in the fre- 

 quent brawls and fisticuffs of boys, and in the 

 wars of men. Peace becomes tiresome if it is too 

 prolonged, and we have to 4 i pitch into ' ' somebody 

 to get relief. 



See how a crowd swarms about a street brawl. 

 Let two boys begin to fight, and see how the 

 other boys gather around in anticipation of pound- 

 ing somebody by proxy, by seeing somebody 

 pound somebody else. Look at the enormous sale 

 of knives, revolvers, and other instruments of 

 death. Does this show our civilization or our sav- 

 agery? Even if a person has no idea of killing- 

 anybody or anything, it rather tickles his savage 

 nature to realize that he is equipped to do it. See 

 the ignoble crew that escorts every pugilist par- 

 asites who feel that some of the glory of his bru- 

 tality may in some way get rubbed off on them, 

 and whose darling hope is to arrange a set-to so 

 that they may share the pleasure without endur- 

 ing the pains. The first blows at a prize-fight are 

 apt to make a refined and sensitive spectator sick. 

 But if he sticks thru the first round his blood is 

 likely to rise in favor of one party or the other, 

 and then he can't see the other fellow pounded and 

 mangled enough to suit him (James). 



I can remember how strong the fighting instinct 

 was among the men and boys in that part of Mis- 

 souri in which I lived as a boy. A man or a boy 

 with a strong instinct to fight and with a strong 



