Don't
sit up stiffly, but as if you were in a chair.
"Now, we will start at a walk. Ibrahim will keep quite close to you,
so as to be able to catch hold of your rein, should there be any
occasion for him to do so."
Then, mounting, he and Surajah rode off at a walk, the others
following a length or two behind them. Dick looked round, from time to
time, and saw that Annie exhibited no signs of nervousness.
"I am quite comfortable," she said, in reply to one of his glances.
When they got into the road again, Dick said:
"We will go at an easy canter now, Annie. If you feel as if you could
not keep on, call out, and we will stop directly; but first come up
between Surajah and myself, and we will take the leading reins, so
that you will have nothing to attend to but holding on."
Two cords had been attached to the bridle, before setting out, and
Surajah and Dick each taking one, they started again, the horses
instinctively breaking into a canter, which was their usual pace.
Annie at first grasped the strap of the rug in front of her, but as
soon as she became accustomed to the motion, she let go. A small rug
had been strapped over the saddle, before she mounted, and this
afforded her a much better hold than she would have had of the
leather; and as the pace of the horse was a gentle one, she found it
much more easy to keep her seat than she had expected.
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