172 IN THE BIDING-SCHOOL. 



" Perhaps you have not noticed that most of 

 these saddles are buckskin," she continues; "I 

 did not, until I found myself slipping about on 

 mine to day as if it were glazed, and lo ! it was 

 pigskin, and that made the difference. I would 

 not have it changed, because the Texan is always 

 sneering at English pigskin, and I wanted to 

 learn to ride on it; but, until the last quarter 

 of the hour, I expected to slip off. I rather 

 think I should have," she adds, "only just as I 

 was ready to slip off on one side, something 

 would occur to make me slip to the other. I 

 shall not be afraid of pigskin again, and you 

 would better try it, every one of you. Suppose 

 you should get ahorse from a livery stable some 

 day with one of those slippery saddles ! ' 



" I am thinking of buying a horse," says the 

 society young lady ; " but the master says that 

 I do not know enough to ride a beast that has 

 been really trained. Fancy that ! " 



" And all the authorities agree with him," 

 says Versatilia, who has accumulated a small 

 library of books on equestrianism since she 

 began to take lessons. "Your horse ought not 

 to know much more than you do — for if 



