hing? I walked out of my lines to get
a little peace and quiet here."

"My lords," said the camel humbly, "we dreamed bad dreams in the night,
and we were very much afraid. I am only a baggage camel of the 39th
Native Infantry, and I am not as brave as you are, my lords."

"Then why didn't you stay and carry baggage for the 39th Native
Infantry, instead of running all round the camp?" said the mule.

"They were such very bad dreams," said the camel. "I am sorry. Listen!
What is that? Shall we run on again?"

"Sit down," said the mule, "or you'll snap your long stick-legs between
the guns." He cocked one ear and listened. "Bullocks!" he said. "Gun
bullocks. On my word, you and your friends have waked the camp very
thoroughly. It takes a good deal of prodding to put up a gun-bullock."

I heard a chain dragging along the ground, and a yoke of the great sulky
white bullocks that drag the heavy siege guns when the elephants won't
go any nearer to the firing, came shouldering along together. And almost
stepping on the chain was another battery mule, calling wildly for
"Billy."

"That's one of our recruits," said the old mule to the troop horse.
"He's calling for me. Here, youngster, stop squealing. The dark never
hurt anybody yet."

The gun-bullocks lay down together and began chewing the cud, but the
young mule huddled close to Billy.

"Things!" he said. "Fearful and horrible, Billy! They came into our
lines while we were asleep. D'you think they'll kill us?"

"I've a very great mind to give you a number-one kicking," said Billy.
"The idea of a fourteen-hand mule with your training disgracing the
battery before this gentleman!"

"Gently, gently!" said the troop-horse. "Remember they are always like
this to begin with. The first time I ever saw a man (it was in Australia
when I was a three-year-old) I ran for half a day, and if I'd seen a
camel, I should have been running still."

Nearly all our horses for the English cavalry are brought to India from
Australia, and are broken in by the troopers themselves.

"True enough," said Billy. "Stop shaking, youngster. The first time
they put the full harness with all its chains on my back I stood on
my forelegs and kicked every bit of it off. I hadn't learned the real
science of kicking then, but the battery said they had never seen
anything like it."

"But this wasn't harness or anything that jingled," said the young mule.
"You know I don't mind that now, Billy. It w