THE HORSE AND HIS RIDER. 147 



tie on their saddles, and as oft pierce the mark, the 

 horse all the while running at his full speed. Sitting 

 after their usual manner, they would jump behind their 

 saddles, and let their heads hang down, then raise 

 themselves up, and get into their saddles. Thrice 

 they would do this, and as oft let fly their arrows 

 without ever missing the mark. Or sitting in their 

 saddles, they would lay their heads backwards on 

 their horse's croup, and taking his tail, hold it in 

 their teeth, then raise themselves up, and shoot as 

 sure as ever they did. 



Others would sit between drawn sharp pointed 

 swords, three on either side, and in very thin clothes, 

 so that if they had but budged, ever so little, to one 

 side or the other, they must have been wounded; 

 yet so dextrously did they move backwards and for- 

 wards, that (as if there had been danger on either 

 side) they were always sure to pierce the mark. 



Among all the young men who performed these 

 exercises, there was only one found, who, with his 

 feet loose, could stand upon the backs of two of the 

 swiftest horses at their full speed, and let fly three 

 arrows forwards and backwards. There was another, 

 who could sit on a horse without a saddle or bridle, 

 and at every mark spring up on his legs, and hit the 

 marks, both on his right and left hand, and then sit 



