Instantly each young man stood with one foot in stirrup, one hand at the animal's mane, and one at saddle.
"Mount!"
In perfect unison the yearling cadets swung themselves up into saddle, their right feet searching for and then resting in the stirrup boxes.
Then, at the command, Haskins led his men out in single file.
Thus they circled the riding hall twice at a walk.
"Trot!" came Captain Hall's command.
A few rounds of this was followed by the command, "gallop!" Around and around the hall the cadets rode, every man but one feeling the blood tingling with new life through his arteries. It was glorious to stride a horse and to ride at this gait!
Glorious, that is, for all except one man. Dodge rode at the tail end of the line, on a fiend of a horse that had proven disastrous to more than one green rider.
As the "gallop" was ordered, Dodge's mount showed a longing to bolt and dash up to the head of the line. Dodge, throbbing uneasily, reined in hard. His horse began to chafe as it found itself forced back. In another moment Dodge was lagging behind.
"Keep the pace, Mr. Dodge! Keep the pace, sir!" called out Captain
Hall.
Bert obeyed, but in fear. He did not know at what instant this uneasy animal would rear and unhorse him.