58 m THE BIDING-SCHOOL. 



and in time, trot he does. But your left foot 

 swings now forward and now outward, and you 

 cannot rise. The regular, pulsating count by 

 which a clever girl is moving like a machine, 

 irritates you, and you tell another beginner, 

 "They really ought to let us rise on the alter- 

 nate beats at first, until we are more accustomed 

 to the motion," and she agrees with you, and 

 both of you try this, which might be called trot- 

 ting on the American pupil plan, but even the 

 calm Billy manages to take about six steps be- 

 tween what you regard as the "alternate beats," 

 andat last breaks into a canter, and you hear your- 

 self ordered, very peremptorily, to "sit down." 

 You obey, but begin the pea in the skillet per- 

 formance again, and at last you tell your master 

 that you will not try to trot any more, but 

 would like to know all about managing the 

 reins. 



"And then," you say, looking as wise as the 

 three Gothamites of the nursery song, "even if 

 I should not be able to trot long, and should 

 fall behind my friends on the road, I shall have 

 perfect control of my horse, and can walk on 

 until they miss me and turn back for me. Will 



