68 IN THE HIDING-SCHOOL. 



riage, and in case of a runaway what can her 

 escort, his left hand occupied with his own 

 reins, do to aid her with hers, or to disentangle 

 her foot from the stirrup or her habit from the 

 pommels in case she is thrown ? Can he snatch 

 her from the saddle, after the manner of one of 

 Joaquin Miller's young men ? The truth is 

 that since the rule of the road is 'keep to the 

 right,' the rule of the saddle should be ' sit on 

 the right,' but with a lady on his bridle hand 

 the horseman could not be at his best as an es- 

 cort, even then. 



" It is one of the many little absurdities in 

 American customs ; the old story of the sur- 

 vival of the two buttons on the back of the 

 coat, and, by the way, Miss Esmeralda, the two 

 buttons on the back of your habit are out of 

 place, not because of your tailor's fault, but 

 because of yours. They should make a line at 

 right angles with your horse's spinal column. 

 Draw yourself back a little, until you can feel 

 the pommel under your right knee. 'Draw' 

 yourself back ; don't lean, but keep yourself 

 perfectly erect, your back perpendicular to your 

 horse's. Sit a little to the left ; lean a little to 



