never let her know that I understood beast talk, or she would have
taken all sorts of liberties. So I buttoned her into the breast of my
overcoat, and Two Tails shuffled and stamped and growled to himself.
Extraordinary! Most extraordinary! he said. It runs in our family.
Now, where has that nasty little beast gone to?
I heard him feeling about with his trunk.
We all seem to be affected in various ways, he went on, blowing his
nose. Now, you gentlemen were alarmed, I believe, when I trumpeted.
Not alarmed, exactly, said the troop-horse, but it made me feel as
though I had hornets where my saddle ought to be. Don t begin again.
I m frightened of a little dog, and the camel here is frightened by bad
dreams in the night.
It is very lucky for us that we haven t all got to fight in the same
way, said the troop-horse.
What I want to know, said the young mule, who had been quiet for a
long time-- what I want to know is, why we have to fight at all.
Because we re told to, said the troop-horse, with a snort of contempt.
Orders, said Billy the mule, and his teeth snapped.
Hukm hai! (It is an order!), said the camel with a gurgle, and Two
Tails and the bullocks repeated, Hukm hai!
Yes, but who gives the orders? said the recruit-mule.
The man who walks at your head--Or sits on your back--Or holds the nose
rope--Or twists your tail, said Billy and the troop-horse and the camel
and the bullocks one after the other.
But who gives them the orders?
Now you want to know too much, young un, said Billy, and that is one
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