The chief point in his plan
was to keep three or four boys together, one to follow up another. If
the leader missed, then number two ran in; if he failed to strike, then
number three, and so on. The stout gentleman also turned out to be a
capital player. He went on the "sure and steady wins the race"
principle. Quietly yet rapidly he glided about after the ball, and when
he got up to it, never failed to strike it, and to strike hard too. His
exertions indeed mainly contributed to the success of Ernest's side,
which triumphantly gained the day. Several games were played, and each
time Ernest's side was victorious, though the defeated party took it
very good-humouredly. Charles, however, observed that he had received
several lessons from his opponents, and that he thought they would not
find him so easily beaten again.

"Don't be too sure of that, Charlie," sung out Frank. "We also intend
to-morrow to play twice as well as we did yesterday. Our motto is,
`We'll fight and we'll conquer again and again.'"

The morrow came, and a great game of hockey was the absorbing amusement
of the day; even young Hotspur and the sleigh failed to attract so much
interest. The stout gentleman was in his glory. He appeared with a
hockey-stick of his own manufacture, and in garments which, if not
graceful, precluded any of the youngsters from catching hold of his
tails. There were the same sides as on the previous day, with several
additional players; but none of them were very good, nor did they add
much to the relative strength of each party. Ernest was the first to
place the ball on the ice to strike it. The instant his stick
descended, and the ball went whirling away over the smooth glass-like
surface of the ice, Frank, followed by Buttar, Bouldon, and Ellis,
darted forth with tremendous speed in the hopes of reaching it before
any of the opposite party, and of driving it home; but before they could
strike, Charles and Lemon were up to it, and sent it flying back again.
The stout gentleman, however, who had only moved slowly on, saw it
coming, and gliding up as it slid on towards him, struck it a blow which
sent it two-thirds of the way across the pond once more. Frank, Ernest,
and Buttar were up to it, Bouldon and Ellis keeping a little way behind
them: Frank struck the ball, and sent it flying on, but it was into the
midst of their opponents, who quickly drove it back again, when Bouldon,
skating up, prevented it gett