ne and tail, and,
though he was only two years old, the Indians had already taught him
to carry all sorts of burdens, to stand without being tied, to go
anywhere over all sorts of ground fast or slow, and to jump and swim
and fear nothing,--a truly wonderful creature, strangely different
from shy, skittish, nervous, superstitious civilized beasts. We turned
him loose, and, strange to say, he never ran away from us or refused
to be caught, but behaved as if he had known Scotch boys all his
life; probably because we were about as wild as young Indians.

One day when father happened to have a little leisure, he said, "Noo,
bairns, rin doon the meadow and get your powny and learn to ride him."
So we led him out to a smooth place near an Indian mound back of the
shanty, where father directed us to begin. I mounted for the first
memorable lesson, crossed the mound, and set out at a slow walk along
the wagon-track made in hauling lumber; then father shouted: "Whup him
up, John, whup him up! Make him gallop; gallopin' is easier and better
than walkin' or trottin'." Jack was willing, and away he sped at a
good fast gallop. I managed to keep my balance fairly well by holding
fast to the mane, but could not keep from bumping up and down, for I
was plump and elastic and so was Jack; therefore about half of the
time I was in the air.

After a quarter of a mile or so of this curious transportation, I
cried, "Whoa, Jack!" The wonderful creature seemed to understand
Scotch, for he stopped so suddenly I flew over his head, but he stood
perfectly still as if that flying method of dismounting were the
regular way. Jumping on again, I bumped and bobbed back along the
grassy, flowery track, over the Indian mound, cried, "Whoa, Jack!"
flew over his head, and alighted in father's arms as gracefully as if
it were all intended for circus work.

After going over the course five or six times in the same free,
picturesque style, I gave place to brother David, whose performances
were much like my own. In a few weeks, however, or a month, we were
taking adventurous rides more than a mile long out to a big meadow
frequented by sandhill cranes, and returning safely with wonderful
stories of the great long-legged birds we had seen, and how on the
whole journey away and back we had fallen off only five or six times.
Gradually we learned to gallop through the woods without roads of any
sort, bareback and without rope or bridle, guiding only by leaning