They had few
disagreements. Frank, although the older and larger of the two, let Bert
take the lead in almost all cases, for Bert had the more active mind,
and his plans were generally the better. Happily for the serenity of
their relations, Bert, while he was fond enough of being the leader,
never undertook to "boss" his companions. If they did not readily fall
into line with him, why he simply fell into line with them, and that was
an end of it. His idea of fun did not consist in being an autocrat, and
ordering others about. He very much preferred that all should work
together for whatever common purpose happened to be in their minds at
the time; and thus it was, that of the boys who played together in the
old fort, and waded in the shallow water that rippled along the sand
beach at its foot, no one was more popular than Bert Lloyd.

They had fine fun during this summer vacation. Neither Frank nor Bert
went out of the city, and they played together every day, generally in
the fort; but sometimes Bert would go with Frank to the Horticultural
Gardens, where a number of swings made a great attraction for the young
folk, or down to the point where they would ramble through the woods,
imagining themselves brave hunters in search of bears, and carrying bows
and arrows to help out the illusion.

The greatest enjoyment of all, however, was to go out upon the water. Of
course, they were not allowed to do this by themselves. They were too
young for that yet, but very often Mr. Lloyd would leave his office
early in the afternoon in order to take them out in the pretty skiff he
kept at the fort, or the whole family would spend the long summer
evenings together on the water.

Bert was at his happiest then. Under his father's directions he was
vigorously learning to row, and it was very stimulating to have his
mother and sister as spectators. They took such a lively interest in his
progress, that he did not mind if they did laugh heartily, but of course
not unkindly, when sometimes in his eagerness to take an extra big
stroke he would "catch a crab," and roll over on his back in the bottom
of the boat, with his feet stuck up like two signals of distress. Bert
accomplished this a good many times, but it did not discourage him. He
was up and at it again immediately.

"Don't look at your oar, boys! Don't look at your oar! Keep your faces
toward the stern," Mr. Lloyd would call out as Bert and Frank tugged
away manfully, and they,