94: THE WORLD OF ICE.

the crew of the Dolphin played football in a somewhat
different style from the way in which that noble game
is played by boys in England. Sides, indeed, were
chosen, and boundaries were marked out, but very
little, if any, attention was paid to such secondary
matters! To kick the ball, and keep on kicking it in
front of his companions, was the ambition of each man ;
and so long as he could get a kick at it that caused
it to fly from the ground like a cannon-shot, little
yegard was had by any one to the direction in which
it was propelled. But, of course, in this effort to get
a kick, the men soon became seattered over the field,
and ever and anon the ball would fall between two
men, who rushed at it simultaneously from opposite
directions. The inevitable result was a collision, by
which both men were suddenly and violently arrested
in their career. But generally the shock resulted in
one of the men being sent staggering backwards, and
the other getting the hick. When the two were
pretty equally matched, both were usually, as they
expressed it, “brought up all standing,” im which case
a short scuffle ensued, as each endeavoured to trip
up the heels of his adversary. To prevent undue
violence in such struggles, a rule was laid down that
hands were not to be uscd on any account. They
might use their fect, legs, shoulders, and elbows, but
not their hands.

In such rough play the men were more equally
matched than might have been expected, for the want
of weight among the smaller men was often more than