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have anything to do with this animal, with his wide, flaring nostrils and his wild eyes.
    “I don’t think he cares to have a novice up on him,” I hazarded hopefully.
    “What? Birrahlee?” Marv said scornfully. “He’s as quiet as a rocking horse ! ”
    Andrew merely stood beside the horse, patiently waiting. “Take time to get to know him,” he advised me. “Talk to him. Let him get wind of your smell. Never hurry over getting to know a horse. Your life may depend on him, so you’d better make friends with him.”
    I took it all very seriously. Timidly, I patted the strong neck and allowed his flaring nostrils to nuzzle against my shoulder. Nor was he the only one to take in my scent, for his own was strong enough to hit the back of my throat when he came up close to me .
    Andrew put the reins in my hand and showed me how to hold them. He made me grasp the saddle with both hands and, taking my foot in his hands, he flung me up on to the great animal’s back.
    It was a long way down to the ground! I reeled away from the quick look I had taken and concentrated fiercely on hooking my feet into the stirrups. The saddle fitted me closely, rising into a ridge behind me that would hold me on no matter what I did .
    “You’d best walk him round the paddock first,” Andrew said, casting a critical eye over the way I was sitting.
    I urged the horse forward. He poked his legs down hard on to the ground, jerking me at every step. I thought maybe it was because he was going so slowly and eased the reins against his neck, as I had once seen someone do in the films. Birrahlee’s reaction was totally unexpected. His ears went back flat against his neck, and he shot forward, tearing past Andrew and Mary, who was just at that moment getting on to her own horse. He stretched himself out, his hooves thundering against the hard, dry ground. I shut my eyes, praying that I would remain on his back and would not disgrace myself before Andrew’s critical eyes.
    I need not have worried, for I soon found I was enjoying myself. The lurching ground settled into an understandable pattern of trees and scrub. It was the most exciting sensation I had ever known and I was quite put out when I realised that the others were following in hot pursuit. I touched my heels to Birrahlee’s flanks and was delighted as he responded by galloping even faster.
    “ Scots, wha hae !” I yelled into the wind.
    “Pull him up!” Andrew shouted behind me. Reluctantly, I did as he said. We faltered back into a canter and circled round to meet Andrew as he came up to us.
    “Oh, Andrew!” I exclaimed exultantly.
    “I’ll Scots, wha hae you!” he threatened. “I thought you said you couldn’t ride?”
    “Did you see me?” I laughed at him. “Did you see him fly over the ground?”
    He relaxed a trifle in his saddle. “If you think you can do it again, I’ll time you with a stop-watch,” he promised.
    “You mean, have a race?” I demanded happily.
    “If you think you can hold him,” he said seriously.
    “He drives himself!” I assured him blithely.
    He blenched, but he said nothing. It was left to Mary, who came panting up to join us to say:
    “Did you see it, Andy? Don’t you dare say a word to anyone, either of you! Mirrabooka’s secret weapon at the next races has been found!”
    “I don’t know,” Andrew said slowly. “It’s a pretty rough event.”
    “Please,” begged Mary.
    “I’ll think about it,” he said.
    Reaction had begun to set in and I felt weak at the knees and was shaking as I clung to the reins as if my life depended on it . But I didn’t think I could dismount, so there was nothing to do but to stretch my legs in front of me and hope that the weakness would pass over quickly.
    Andrew gave me a sharp look. “Do you want to go back?” he asked me .
    I shook my head, straightening my back. “I thought we were going to see the sheep,” I rallied him.
    He took off his hat and blew into it. “You’re going to