134 IX THE BIDING-SCHOOL. 



crous incidents among the volunteer soldiery, 

 the energetic drill master of one day being 

 transformed into a voiceless pantomimist by 

 the next, but, like Juliet when she spoke, she 

 says nothing, and now the teacher once more 

 cries, " Turn ! ' and then, suddenly, " Prepare 

 to stop ! Stop! Now look at your line ! No 

 two of you have your horses' heads even ! 

 And how many of you were riding straight ? " 



A dead silence gives a precisely correct 

 answer, and again he cries, " Forward ! " A 

 repetition of the movement is demanded, and 

 is received with cries of " This is not good, 

 ladies ! This is not good ! We will try again 

 by and by. Now, prepare to change hands in 

 file." 



The leader, turning at one corner of the 

 school, makes a line almost like a reversed 

 " s ' to the corner diagonally opposite, and 

 comes back to the track on the left hand, the 

 others straggling after with about as much 

 precision and grace as Jill followed Jack down 

 the hill ; but, before they are fairly aware how 

 very ill they have performed the manoeuvre, 

 they perceive that their teacher not only aimed 



