IN THE HIDING-SCHOOL. 105 



" Now," he adds, " if you take my advice, 

 you two, you will take places in the centre 

 of the ring ; you will sit as well as you 

 know how, Miss Esmeralda, and you will 

 watch the others through the next music. 

 It is perfectly allowable," he adds, draw- 

 ing rein a moment as he passes, " to sit a 

 little carelessly when your horse is at rest, 

 always keeping firm hold of the reins, but I 

 would rather that you did not do it until you 

 have ridden a little more and are firmer in your 

 seat. Hollow your waist the least in the world, 

 for the sake of our poker-critic in the gallery, 

 and watch for bad riding as well as for good," and 

 away he goes, and again the double circle of 

 riders sweeps around the ring, and you have 

 time to see that the horses seem to enjoy the 

 motion, and that their action is more easy and 

 graceful than it is when they are obeying the 

 commands of poor riders. 



Theodore indulges in a little sarcasm at the 

 expense of a man whose elbows are on a level 

 with his shoulders, while his two hands are with- 

 in about three inches of one another on the 

 reins, and his horse has as full possession of 



