"Move over on the horse's hip. There. Sit over just as
far as you can without slipping off. You saw how I did it
this afternoon?"
"Yes--oh, here I go!"
Phil slid from the sloping side of the ring horse, landing in a
heap, to the accompaniment of a rippling laugh from Dimples.
"I guess I'm not much of a bareback rider," grinned the lad,
picking himself up. "How do you manage to stay on it in
that position?"
"I don't know. It is just practice. You will catch the trick of
it very soon."
"I'm not so sure of that."
"There! Now, take hold of the rein and stand up.
Don't be afraid--"
"I'm not. Don't worry about my being afraid."
"I didn't mean it that way. Move back further. It is not good
to stand in the middle of your horse's back all the time.
Besides throwing too much weight on the back, you are liable to
tickle the animal there and make him nervous. The best work is
done by standing over the horse's hip. That's it. Tread on the
balls of your feet."
But Phil suddenly went sprawling, landing on the ground again,
at which both laughed merrily.
Very shortly after that the show in the big top came to a close.
The concert was now going on, at the end nearest the menagerie
tent,
so Phil and Dimples took the ring at the other end of the tent,
where they resumed their practice.
Pages:
81
82
83
84
85
86
87
88
89
90
91
92
93
94
95
96
97
98
99
100
101
102
103
104
105