is movements as he swept round an island or into a bay, and to preserve
his balance. Frank, on the contrary, had very little skill or science.
All he did was by sheer muscular power, with a determination to keep his
legs, and to go on ahead. The skates went deeply into the ice as he
struck out, and he seemed rather to be running than skating, with such
rapidity did he put one foot before the other. All the time his arms
were in violent motion, while he flourished a stout oak stick, thick
enough to fell a buffalo, and at the top of his voice kept shouting and
shrieking with laughter, calling on Ernest to heave-to for him, or to
port or starboard his helm, or to keep along in shore, and not attempt
to make short cuts.

Ernest was very much amused at his nautical brother's mode of
proceeding, and he could not help suspecting that Frank was assuming a
considerably greater amount of roughness than he really possessed.
However, Ernest found that he had to skate his very best to keep ahead
of him, when going in a direct line, though he beat him hollow whenever
they had to make turns between the islands and the mainland, or to pass
along the sinuosities of the bays. Still it seemed surprising,
considering the little practice he had had, how perfectly at home Frank
was on his feet. Ernest made a remark of that sort to him.

"Not a bit surprising, old fellow," he answered. "It is simply because
I know the skates can do the work I put them to. A fellow who has
learned to stand on the deck of a ship, rolling her guns in the water,
and pitching bows under, and has had to furl top-gallant sails with a
hurricane blowing in his teeth, can easily do anything of this sort, if
he has the mind to do it. I am not like you, Ernest; you see I have
been scorching under tropical suns, while you have had time to practise
the art of skating."

They could not, however, talk very much as they went flying round the
pond. Buttar and Bouldon, and Ellis and others sung out, "A race, a
race, a race!" and attracted the attention of the rest of the people on
the ice, who all stopped skating to look at them. It seemed still a
doubtful point which would get in the first. Perhaps Ernest had not
gone as rapidly as he might, that he might give Frank the pleasure of
keeping up with him. There was a long clear run nearly from one end of
the pond to the other. They were just about to do it. Ernest was a
little ahead of Frank, so that he could turn