arched its brown, glossy neck and tossed its
fine head in the sun, the Earl had sat at the open window of the library
and had looked on while Fauntleroy took his first riding lesson. He
wondered if the boy would show signs of timidity. It was not a very
small pony, and he had often seen children lose courage in making their
first essay at riding.

Fauntleroy mounted in great delight. He had never been on a pony before,
and he was in the highest spirits. Wilkins, the groom, led the animal by
the bridle up and down before the library window.

"He's a well plucked un, he is," Wilkins remarked in the stable
afterward with many grins. "It weren't no trouble to put HIM up. An' a
old un wouldn't ha' sat any straighter when he WERE up. He ses--ses
he to me, 'Wilkins,' he ses, 'am I sitting up straight? They sit up
straight at the circus,' ses he. An' I ses, 'As straight as a arrer,
your lordship!'--an' he laughs, as pleased as could be, an' he ses,
'That's right,' he ses, 'you tell me if I don't sit up straight,
Wilkins!'"

But sitting up straight and being led at a walk were not altogether and
completely satisfactory. After a few minutes, Fauntleroy spoke to his
grandfather--watching him from the window:

"Can't I go by myself?" he asked; "and can't I go faster? The boy on
Fifth Avenue used to trot and canter!"

"Do you think you could trot and canter?" said the Earl.

"I should like to try," answered Fauntleroy.

His lordship made a sign to Wilkins, who at the signal brought up his
own horse and mounted it and took Fauntleroy's pony by the leading-rein.

"Now," said the Earl, "let him trot."

The next few minutes were rather exciting to the small equestrian. He
found that trotting was not so easy as walking, and the faster the pony
trotted, the less easy it was.

"It j-jolts a g-goo-good deal--do-doesn't it?" he said to Wilkins.
"D-does it j-jolt y-you?"

"No, my lord," answered Wilkins. "You'll get used to it in time. Rise in
your stirrups."

"I'm ri-rising all the t-time," said Fauntleroy.

He was both rising and falling rather uncomfortably and with many shakes
and bounces. He was out of breath and his face grew red, but he held on
with all his might, and sat as straight as he could. The Earl could
see that from his window. When the riders came back within speaking
distance, after they had been hidden by the trees a few minutes,
Fauntleroy's hat was off, his cheeks were like poppies, and his lips
were set