was quite quiet when once the rider was seated, and Vaughan
had no difficulty in riding her round or in dismounting. Mick
shortened the rein for mounting, and just as the mare began to turn
away, as she had done with Vaughan, he took off his hat and put it
under the cheek-strap of the bridle, thus blinding the horse on the
near side. She stood quite still, and the drover got on and off
several times without any difficulty. Then Vaughan tried it in the
same way, and found he could do anything with the mare if only he
blindfolded the near-side eye when he was mounting.

"She's a good little mare to ride, and as game as a pebble," said Mick,
when the saddle had been taken off her. "I'll let you have her if you
promise to treat her well."

The next horse was a big raking bay, high in the shoulder, too long and
badly coupled in the back, and of a very awkward appearance. Vaughan
saddled him up and mounted. The horse stood stock still. Vaughan then
shook the reins and it moved on for a few paces, but as soon as the
reins were slacked again, it stopped. The boy became impatient.
Nothing is so annoying to ride as a lazy horse. So he shortened the
rein. As soon as he did so, the big animal started to move forward,
and it got faster and raster as its rider put pressure on the reins.
It had an awkward habit of thrusting its long lean head straight out,
so Vaughan pulled hard. But the harder the boy pulled the faster the
horse moved. And it _could_ move. Vaughan had never had such an
uncomfortable few minutes in his life. Every part of the horse seemed
to be moving by itself, and jerking him in all directions. He couldn't
possibly sit in the saddle. He let the stirrups take all his weight
and just hung on. The horse was bolting.

Vaughan did not lose his head. After trying to pull up the runaway by
sheer force, he realized that he was only wasting his strength, and
making it go faster. By the time he found this out, he was a mile away
from the others, enveloped in a cloud of dust, and racing as hard as
the horse could set foot to the ground. He slackened the reins a
little. Instantly the pace slackened too. He took off more pressure
still and the horse was soon cantering at a medium speed. Vaughan had
found out the secret. He turned his horse's head towards home, and
made it do just anything he wanted by simply increasing or decreasing
the force with which he held the reins. The horse had a most
delightf