hat they turned into a steed. Sometimes
it was Farmer Tallington's Hips, the brindled cow, when she was fetched
from the end of the home close to be milked. This would have been one
of the calmest of rides, and afforded plenty of room for both boys to
ride Knight-Templar fashion, after old Sam had helped them on, but it
was not a ride much sought for, because Hips was not a mollusc. Quite
the contrary: she was a vertebrate animal, very vertebrate indeed, and a
ride on her back represented a journey upon the edge of a Brobdingnagian
blunt saw, set up along a kind of broad lattice covered with a skin.

There was a favourite old sow at the Toft which was often put in
requisition, but she only carried one. Still it was a comfortable seat,
only in the early days of the boys' life that pig's back was wont to
tickle; and then too she had a very bad habit.

Of course these rides were not had in the sty, nor yet in the farm-yard,
but out along by the edge of the fen, and the enjoyment was nearly
perfect till it was brought to an end, always in the same way, as soon
as a nice convenient shallow pool was encountered, for here Lady
Winthorpe, as she was called, always lay down for a comfortable wallow,
when it was no use to wait for another ride, for the seat became too
wet.

Tallington's ram was splendid when he could be caught, which was not
often; but upon the rare occasions when he did fall captive to the boys'
prowess, he had rather a trying time, considering how big he was, and
how thin his legs. But his back was beautiful. The wool formed a
magnificent cushion, and a couple of locks could be grasped for security
by the rider, while the attendant, who waited his turn drove with a
branch of furze or heather.

A pole across a stone wall was another splendid aid to horsemanship,
see-saw fashion, or turned into a steed for one, by wedging the thick
end into a hole and riding the thin end, spring fashion; while, as the
years rolled by and the boys were back from school, an occasional mount
was had upon Saxon, Tallington's old grey horse, falsely said to be
nearly two hundred. But if he was not, he looked it.

Of course it was pleasant to be seated on high upon his back, but the
ride was not exhilarating, for whether he was bound for the ploughed
fields, or to harrow, or to fetch home a load, it seemed to make no
difference to Saxon, who always seemed to be examining the ground before
him with his big dull eyes before h