Burr Junior Part 45

"Sergeant Lomax, sir."

"Yes, Sergeant Lomax. I say, do let me have a saddle."

"What for, sir?"

"It's so much more comfortable."

"A soldier, sir, is a man who scorns comfort and takes things as they come. You've got to learn to ride."

"Of course. Then where's the saddle?"

"When you can ride well without a saddle, you shall have one. Now: no more talking. 'Tention! By your right--March!"

The horse started off without my influencing him in the slightest degree, but before we had got ten yards, the sergeant's stern, "Halt!"

rang out again, and the horse stopped as suddenly as before, but I was aware of it this time, and gripped him hard with my knees.

"Good. Well done. But you went too far forward. Take a good hold with your knees. And that's not the way to hold your reins. Look here, one rein--no, no, not the curb--the snaffle--that's it now--one rein outside your little finger and one in, and the rest of the rein through your hand, between your forefinger and thumb. Good. Now pick up the curb rein off your horse's neck and let it rest lightly in your hand."

"What for?"

"Don't ask questions. Because it's right. Ready for use if the horse pulls too much or bolts."

"Is he likely to pull too much or bolt?"

"Don't ask questions. No, he isn't. Soldiers generally ride on the curb, but a horse like this don't want it. He has been ridden with cavalry, too. Now then, once more at a walk--March!"

The horse started again, with his soft, warm back feeling terribly slippery, but I sat quite stiffly upright, and he walked straight up the paddock, and seemed as if he were going to leap the hedge, making me wonder which side I should fall; but just as we were close up, the sergeant's voice rang out,--

"Right wheel!"

The horse turned to the right instantly, and had gone a dozen yards when the sergeant shouted again, "Right wheel!" and directly after, "Forward!" with the result that we were now facing him, and went slowly down the paddock, till the sergeant shouted, "Halt!" just as I was beginning to feel a little more comfortable, and not as if I must slide off right or left at any moment.

"Well, that's pretty fair, sir," cried Lomax, as the horse stopped short. "Chest out more, back hollow. Keep your knees well in. Capital horse for you to learn on. Knows all his work. Well, we won't waste time walking. You shall do that now at a trot."

"Without a sad--"

"'Tention. No talking in the ranks."

The horse didn't want to be turned, but came round quickly, almost on a pivot, very much disturbing my equilibrium again; but by gripping tightly with my legs I managed to hold on, and looked anxiously at Lomax.

"Ah," he shouted, "eyes straight for the horse's ears! Now then, you will sit firm, elbows close to your sides. 'Tention! The squadron will advance at a walk. Forward--tr-r-r-ot!"

The horse had only walked a few paces when the second order came, and he broke directly into a trot, which sent me b.u.mping up and down, now a little inclined to the right, then more to the left, then my balance was gone. I made a desperate effort to save myself, and then, perfectly certain that the horse would trample me to death beneath his feet, down I went on my back, and began to scramble up, with my mount stock still beside me.

"Not hurt a bit!" cried Lomax, running up and handing me my cap, which had come off.

"No," I said, beginning to feel myself all over; "I don't think anything is broken."

"And I'm sure there isn't," cried Lomax. "Now then, I'll give you a leg up."

"Am I to get up again--now?" I faltered.

"Without you want to say you haven't pluck enough to learn to ride."

"No," I said; "I haven't pluck enough to say that."

"Not you. Up you go. There. Now that is better. Stick on this time."

"I could if I had stirrups," I said, "and a saddle."

"No, you couldn't, sir, so don't talk nonsense. You've just learnt the finest thing a lad who wants to ride can learn--the thing that gives him plenty of confidence."

"What's that?" I asked; "that it's very hard to keep on?"

"No; that it's very easy to come off and roll on the ground without hurting yourself a bit. Off you go again. Forward--trot!"

The horse snorted and went on, shaking me almost to pieces, and sometimes I was nearly off on one side, sometimes nearly off on the other, but I kept on.

"Right wheel!" came from the other end of the field, then, "Right wheel!" again. "Forward!" and the horse was taking me--for I had nothing whatever to do with him--back toward where the sergeant stood.

I kept my balance pretty well, but my trousers were running up my legs, and I felt as if everything belonging to me was shaken up. Then once more my balance was gone, and off I went on to my back, and over and over a few yards from the sergeant, who ran up, the horse once more stopping short by my side.

"Bravo!" cried Lomax, as I sat up. "You're getting on."

"I thought I was getting off," I said dolefully.

"Rubbish, sir; improving fast. Here, up with you again. It's all strange to you at first, but you've got to grow to that horse's back, till it's like one animal--horse and man. You've got to learn to grip him till you feel as if you can't tumble off."

"But I never shall," I cried.

"Don't tell me. I'll make you. Now then; there you are. Now you just trot down to the bottom and back without coming off like a sack of shavings. Never mind the reins. Let him have his head, and you put all your sperrit into your knees. Keep your position and preserve your balance."

"I know I shall fall again soon."

"Very well, then, fall. But I don't believe you will. Now then, once more."

He gave the order, the horse walked a few steps, then at the second order broke into a trot, and, to my utter astonishment, as I drove my knees into the warm soft sides, away we went, wheeled to the right, then to the right again, and trotted back to the sergeant, who shouted,--

"Halt! Bravo! There, what did I say? Make much of your horse."

The lesson was kept on for fully two hours, and then, to make up, I suppose, for a good deal of bullying, my instructor was loud in his praise, and, opening the gate after replacing the saddle, he signed to me to mount, but I tried and could not, for my legs felt stiff and stretched, my back ached, and there was a peculiar sensation of soreness about the knees.

"Shall I trot him back?" said Lomax.

"If you would, please," I said. "I do feel so stiff."

"I will, my lad. To-morrow morning same time; and I'll get some of that stiffness out of you."

"Thank you," I said rather dolefully; and then I could not help watching the old dragoon with a feeling of envy as he placed one foot in the stirrup, drew himself up till he stood upright, then deliberately threw the right leg over the horse's back, slowly dropped into his place as upright as a dart, and trotted steadily out into the road and away out of sight, while, after closing the gate, I began to retrace my steps in the direction of the school, just as the boys came trooping out for their regular run till the room was ventilated, and the cloth laid for dinner.