IN THE BIDING-SGHOOL. 23 



equipments, do not profess inability to mount, 

 but when your master says " Now ! " step for- 

 ward and stand facing in the same direction as 

 your horse, placing your right hand on the 

 upper pommel of the two on the left of the 

 saddle. 



Set your left foot in whichever hand he holds 

 out for it. Some masters offer the left, and 

 some the right, and some count for a pupil, and 

 others prefer that she should count for herself. 

 The usual " One, two, three ! " means, one, 

 rest the weight strongly on the right foot ; two, 

 bend the right knee, keeping the body perfectly 

 erect ; three, spring upward from the right foot, 

 turning very slightly to the left, so as to place 

 yourself sidewise on the saddle, your right hand 

 toward the horse's head. 



Some masters offer a shoulder as a support 

 for a pupil's left hand, and some face toward the 

 horse's head and some toward his tail, so it is 

 best for you to wait a little for directions, 

 Esmeralda, and not to suppose that, because 

 you know all about Lucy Fountain's way of 

 mounting a horse, or about James Burdock's 

 tuition of Mabel Vane, there is no other method 

 of putting a lady in the saddle. 



