ASSIST. R. M. This lot don't look much like going over 'urdles--'cept in front o' the 'orse, but I'll tell the Captain. [_The hurdles are brought in and propped up._ _Enter a well-turned-out_ STRANGER, _on a grey cob_. MR. SNIGGERS (_to him_). You ain't lost nothing by coming late, I can tell yer. We've bin having a gay old time in 'ere--made us ride without sterrups, he did! CAPTAIN HEADSTALL. Haw, really? Didn't get grassed, did you? MR. S. Well, me and my 'orse separated by mutual consent. I ain't what you call a fancy 'orseman. We've got to go at that 'urdle in a minute. How do _you_ like the ideer, eh? It's no good funking it--it's got to be _done_! R. M. Now, Captin--not _you_, Captin Cropper--Captin 'Edstall _I_ mean, will you show them the way over, please? [CAPTAIN H. _rides at it_; _the cob jumps too short, and knocks the hurdle down--to his rider's intense disgust_. MR. S. I say, Guvnor, that was a near thing. I wonder you weren't off. CAPT. H. I--ah--don't often come off. MR. S. You won't say that when you've been 'ere a few times. You see, they've put you on a quiet animal this journey. _I_ shall try to get him myself next time. He be'aves like a gentleman, _he_ does. CAPT. H. You won't mount him, if you take my advice--he has rather a delicate mouth. MR. S. Oh, I don't mind that--I should ride him on the curb o' course. [_The Class ride at the hurdle one by one._ R. M. Now, Mr. Sniggers, give 'im more of 'is 'ed than that, Sir--or he'll take it.... Oh, Lor, well, it's soft falling luckily! Mr. Joggles, Sir, keep him back till you're in a line with it.... Better, Sir; you come down true on your saddle afterwards anyway!... Mr. Parabole!... Ah, _would_ you? _Told_ you he was tricky, Sir! Try him at it again.... Now--over!... Yes, and it is over, and no mistake! MRS. B.-K. Now it's Robert's turn. I'm afraid he's been overtiring himself, he looks so pale. Bob, you won't let him jump too high, _will_ you?--Oh, I daren't look. Tell me, my love,--is he _safe_? HER FRIEND. Perfectly--they're just brushing him down. AFTERWARDS. MRS. B.-K. (_to her_ SON). Oh, Bob, you must never think of jumping again--it _is_ such a dangerous amusement! ROBERT (_who has been cursing the hour in which he informed his parent of the exact whereabouts of the school_). It's all right with a horse that knows _how_ to jump. Mine didn't. THE FRIEND. I _thought_ you seemed to jump a good deal higher than the horse did. They ought to be trained to keep close under you, oughtn't they? [ROBERT _wonders if she is as guileless as she looks_.] CAPT. CROPPER (_to the_ R. M.) Oh, takes about eight months, with a lesson every day, to make a man efficient in the Cavalry, does it? But, look here--I suppose four more lessons will put _me_ all right, eh? I've had _eight_, y' know. R. M. Well, Sir, if you _arsk_ me, I dunno as another arf dozen 'll do you any 'arm--but, o'course, that's just as _you_ feel about it.