They--eat--us! Pull! said the near bullock. The yoke snapped with a
twang, and they lumbered off together.
I never knew before what made Indian cattle so scared of Englishmen.
We eat beef--a thing that no cattle-driver touches--and of course the
cattle do not like it.
May I be flogged with my own pad-chains! Who d have thought of two big
lumps like those losing their heads? said Billy.
Never mind. I m going to look at this man. Most of the white men, I
know, have things in their pockets, said the troop-horse.
I ll leave you, then. I can t say I m over-fond of em myself. Besides,
white men who haven t a place to sleep in are more than likely to be
thieves, and I ve a good deal of Government property on my back. Come
along, young un, and we ll go back to our lines. Good-night, Australia!
See you on parade to-morrow, I suppose. Good-night, old Hay-bale!--try
to control your feelings, won t you? Good-night, Two Tails! If you pass
us on the ground tomorrow, don t trumpet. It spoils our formation.
Billy the Mule stumped off with the swaggering limp of an old
campaigner, as the troop-horse s head came nuzzling into my breast, and
I gave him biscuits, while Vixen, who is a most conceited little dog,
told him fibs about the scores of horses that she and I kept.
I m coming to the parade to-morrow in my dog-cart, she said. Where
will you be?
On the left hand of the second squadron. I set the time for all my
troop, little lady, he said politely. Now I must go back to Dick. My
tail s all muddy, and he ll have two hours hard work dressing me for
parade.
The big parade of all the thirty thousand men was held that afternoon,
and Vixen and I had a good place close to the Viceroy and the Amir of
Afghanistan, with high, big black hat of astrakhan wool and the great
diamond star in the center. The first part of the review was all
sunshine, and the regiments went by in wave upon wave of legs all moving
together, and guns all in a line, till our eyes grew dizzy. Then the
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