" I couldn't
help looking at him, and I did; but that, and nothing
more. Some time after this, at cavalry drill, we were
side by side, and I had a rather vicious horse, one in
fact which I could not manage. He gave a sudden jump
unexpectedly to me. I almost lost my seat in the saddle.
This cadet seized me by the arm, and in a tone of voice
that was evidently kind and generous, said to me, "For
heaven's sake be careful. You'll be thrown and get
hurt if you don't." How different from that other wish
given above!
Another evidence, and an important one, may be given
in these words. It is customary for the senior, or,
as we say, the first class, to choose, each member,
a horse, and ride him exclusively during the term.
The choice is usually made by lot, and each man
chooses according to the number he draws. By
remarkable good fortune I drew No. 1, and had
therefore the first choice of all the horses in the
stables.
As soon as the numbers drawn were published, several
classmates hastened to me for the purpose of effecting
an exchange of choice. It will at once be seen that
any such change would in no manner benefit me, for
if I lost the first choice I might also lose the
chance of selecting a good horse. With the avowed
intention of proving that I had at least a generous
disposition, and also that I was not disposed to
consider, in my reciprocal relations with the cadets,
how I had been, and was even then treated by them, I
consented to exchange my first choice for the
fourteenth.
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