"I—I wish you would tell me how—ah—these girths go," he said to Chester, after laboring hard for a quarter of an hour saddling his handsomest horse for Sarah. "I wish—one of my—ah—hired men was here—so that I—ah—would not have to—would not be obliged to trouble you."
"No trouble at all," cried Chester, who, meanwhile, had saddled four horses in front of Deacon Dustan's barn.
He stepped to the stable to see what Mr. Kerchey was about, and, at a glance, burst into a roar of laughter. The amateur farmer had put on the side-saddle, not exactly bottom upwards, but turned square around; and he was trying to buckle the girths upon the stirrup-strap.
"I think Sarah would hesitate to ride with the saddle just in this position," said Chester, checking his merriment.
He skilfully made the required change, and buckled the girths with such rapidity as struck Mr. Kerchey with amazement, and quite discouraged him from ever touching a side-saddle again.
"You see—I—I—I am not—ah—accustomed to this sort of—of business," he stammered, coloring very red.
A dozen horses were saddled and led to the door. In the meantime the girls had prepared themselves for the sport.
"Oh!" screamed Miss Josephine Smith, as the gallant Chester helped her mount from the block, "my nervth are tho delicate!"
How different Sarah! She sat Mr. Kerchey's handsome horse like a queen, holding her head proudly, as he playfully pranced and reared.
"I—I—hope—I hope there is no—ah—danger?" articulated the amateur farmer, as he reluctantly loosed his hold of the bridle.