rs.

The area in the middle of the Hippodrome is about one hundred yards long
and fifty yards wide. It is so large that there is room for a good wide
road all around it, and also for another road up and down the middle,
with little gardens of grass and flowers between. At the very centre is
a round area, where there is a concealed canal of water to represent a
stream. This water is ordinarily covered with planks, and the planks are
covered with a very thick canvas carpet, and this with sand; so that the
water is entirely concealed, and the horsemen ride over it just as they
do over any other part of the area. When they wish to use it, to show
how the horses could leap over streams, they take off the sand, roll up
the carpet, and carry away the planks; and there they have a very good
representation of a stream.

The performances at the Hippodrome are very various. Sometimes whole
troops of horse come in from between two great curtains at one end, all
elegantly caparisoned and mounted, some by men and some by girls, but
all, whether men or girls, dressed in splendid uniforms. These troops
ride round and round the area, and up and down in the middle of it,
performing a great variety of evolutions in the most rapid and
surprising manner.

Then there are races of various kinds. Some are run by beautiful girls,
who come out mounted on elegant gray horses that are mottled like
leopards, each of the riders having a scarf over her shoulders of a
different color from the rest, so that they may be all readily
distinguished from each other in the race. Then there are races of
chariots, three running at a time, round and round the area; and of
small ponies, with monkeys on them for riders. There are various
contrivances, too, for athletic and gymnastic feats, such as masts and
poles for climbers to ascend, and other similar apparatus. All these
things give the interior of the Hippodrome quite a gay and lively
appearance, and the area necessary for them is so large that the ranges
of seats surrounding it are sufficient to accommodate ten thousand
spectators.

It was to this place that Adrienne and Antoine, with their father and
mother, were going, while Rollo and Jennie supposed that they were going
to a church. There was nothing to lead Rollo to suspect his mistake in
the aspect of the building as he approached the entrance to it; for the
sides of it were hidden by trees and other buildings, and the portal,
though very large an