IN THE BIDING-SCHOOL. 145 



and then have a round or two of trotting, keep- 

 ing your horses' heads in line. You will find 

 both of them very tractable to this discipline, 

 because accustomed to having your master's 

 horse keep pace with them, and because they 

 often go in pairs at the music rides, and you must 

 not expect that an ordinary livery stable horse 

 would be as easily managed. It is rather fash- 

 ionable to sneer at the riding-school horse as 

 too mild for the use of a good rider, and very 

 likely, while you and Nell are patiently trying 

 your little experiment, you will hear a youth 

 with very evident straps on his trousers, super- 

 ciliously requesting to have " something spir- 

 ited " brought in from the stable for him. 



" Not one of your school horses, taught to 

 tramp a treadmill round, but a regular flyer," he 

 explains. 



" Is he a very good rider? " you ask your mas- 

 ter. " Last time he was here I bad to take him 

 off" Abdallah," he says sadly, and then he goes 

 to the mounting-stand to deny " the regular 

 flyer," and to tender instead, " an animal that 

 we don't give to everybody, William." Enter 

 " William," otherwise Billy Buttons, whom the 



