From a child nothing has been more unendurable than to feel a stranger's hand touch me, especially on the head, and, before I was aware of it, I had dealt my enemy a resounding slap.

Of course, he instantly rushed at me, and there would have been a violent scuffle had not the older pupils interfered.

If we wanted to do anything, we must wrestle.

This suited my antagonist, and I, too, was not averse to the contest, for I had unusually strong arms, a well-developed chest, and had practised wrestling in the Berlin gymnasium.
The struggle began under the direction of the older pupils, and the grip on which I had relied did not fail.

It consisted in clutching the antagonist just above the hips.