Part 33 (2/2)

A dozen horses were saddled and led to the door. In the meantime the girls had prepared themselves for the sport.

”Oh!” screamed Miss Josephine Smith, as the gallant Chester helped her mount from the block, ”my nervth are tho delicate!”

How different Sarah! She sat Mr. Kerchey's handsome horse like a queen, holding her head proudly, as he playfully pranced and reared.

”I--I--hope--I hope there is no--ah--danger?” articulated the amateur farmer, as he reluctantly loosed his hold of the bridle.

Sarah laughed merrily, and boldly struck the animal with her whip. It made Mr. Kerchey gasp to see him bound and plunge. But she kept her balance miraculously.

After seeing that every girth was well fastened, and every fair rider safely mounted, Chester leaped into his own saddle from the turf, without touching foot to stirrup. But he dismounted again immediately, smothering his laughter as well as he could.

All the gentlemen were mounted, except Mr. Kerchey.

His horse, excited by seeing his mate, governed by Sarah, dance about the yard, would not stand still an instant, or come up to the block.

Harry Dustan, laughing at his distress, had cantered gayly away with Miss Sedley, the ”school-ma'am.” Only Chester was thoughtful enough to go to Mr. Kerchey's relief.

The latter, heated, agitated, and wofully perplexed, was beginning to see that riding horseback was a far more serious affair than he had imagined. He witnessed the bold riding of his neighbors with dismay.

Galloping was to him a perfect mystery. His courage and ambition had never gone beyond a gentle trot. The mere thought of das.h.i.+ng off side by side with Sarah made him dizzy.

”Can't you mount?” asked Chester, soberly, considering the circ.u.mstances.

”No--I--that is--perhaps--on the whole--I'd better not--ah--attempt it.”

”Oh, that won't do! What will the girls say?”

”But, you see--it is all--ah--new to me,” stammered Mr. Kerchey.

”You'll get into the way of it at once,” replied Chester, in an encouraging tone. ”It's as easy as running down hill, or running up--an account. Now,”--he wheeled the horse to the block,--”put your leg over the saddle. No! the other leg,--your right one,--unless you want to ride backwards.”

XXVIII.

MR. KERCHEY'S DARING EXPLOIT.

After considerable trouble, Mr. Kerchey was mounted, with his feet thrust into the stirrups up to the ankles.

Chester, perceiving the smiling faces of the old ladies at the windows and at the door, watching the performance, was so convulsed with mirth that he could with difficulty get once more into the saddle. But the girls had now all galloped up the road, and, with no inducement to make a display of agility and strength, he braced his toe in the stirrup, and leisurely mounted.

Mr. Kerchey was a little ahead of him, making too ludicrous an appearance to be easily described. He looked like an animated bag of flour, Chester said, awkwardly balanced, jolting painfully, and seeming momently ready to tumble off.

”Oh, you do bravely!” cried the young man, das.h.i.+ng past him, on a smart gallop.

Mr. Kerchey groaned, and grasped the saddle with his left hand, desperately, resolved to ride faster.

The party had halted a little way up the road, and Chester made haste to send Sarah back to keep Mr. Kerchey company. At first she refused to go, but conceiving the idea of some fun, consented to the arrangement, and rode to meet her admirer.

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