After they had swept twice around the ring, the boy sprang to
his feet, facing ahead, and holding his short crop in both hands,
leaning slightly toward the center of the ring, treading on fairy
feet from one end of the broad back to the other.
Next he varied his performance by standing on one foot, holding
the other up by one hand, doing the same graceful step that he
had on both feet a moment before.
Now he tried the same feats riding backwards, a most difficult
performance for any save a rider of long experience.
Mrs. Robinson became so absorbed in his riding that she forgot to
urge the gray along or to crack the whip. The result was that
the old horse stopped suddenly.
Phil went right on. He was in a fair way to break his neck,
as he was plunging toward the turf head first.
"Ball!" she cried, meaning to double oneself up into as near an
approach to a round ball as was possible.
But Phil already had begun to do this very thing. And he did
another remarkable feat at the same time. He turned his body
in the air so that he faced to the front, and the next instant
landed lightly on his feet outside the ring.
Phil blew a kiss to the amazed owner, turning back to the
ring again.
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