166 IN THE HIDING-SCHOOL. 



she confides to you afterwards, " but he was 

 right. Still, it is rather astounding to hear the 

 truth sometimes." 



And now, for the first time, you are allowed 

 to ride in pairs, and the word "interval," mean- 

 ing the space between two horses moving on 

 parallel lines, is introduced, and you and Nell, 

 who are together, congratulate yourselves on 

 having in your exercise ride learned something 

 of the manner in which the interval may be 

 preserved exactly, for it is a greater trouble to 

 the others than that "distance" which you have 

 been told a thousand times to "keep." You 

 have but very little of this practice, however, 

 before you are again formed in file, and directed 

 to " Prepare to volte singly ! " 



When this is done perfectly, it is a very pretty 

 manoeuvre, and, the pupils returning to their 

 places at the same moment, the column con- 

 tinues on its way with its distances perfectly 

 preserved, but as no two of your class make 

 circles of the same size, or move at similar 

 rates of speed, your small procession finds itself 

 in hopeless disorder, and in trying to rearrange 

 yourselves, each one of you discovers that she 



