The rain began to fall again, and for a while it was too misty to see what the troops were doing.They had made a big half circle across the plain, and were spreading out into a line.That line grew and grew and grew till it was three-quarters of a mile long from wing to wing--one solid wall of men,horses, and guns. Then it came on straight toward the Viceroy and the Amir,and as it got nearer the ground began to shake,like the deck of a steamer when the engines are going fast.
Unless you have been there you cannot imagine what a frightening effect this steady come-down of troops has on the spectators,even when they know it is only a review. I looked at the Amir.Up till then he had not shown the shadow of a sign of astonishment or anything else.But now his eyes began to get bigger and bigger,and he picked up the reins on his horse’s neck and looked behind him.For a minute it seemed as though he were going to draw his sword and slash his way out through the English men and women in the carriages at the back.Then the advance stopped dead, the ground stood still, the whole line saluted,and thirty bands began to play all together. That was the end of the review,and the regiments went off to their camps in the rain, and an infantry band struck up with--
The animals went in two by two, Hurrah!The animals went in two by two, The elephant and the battery mul’,and they all got into the Ark For to get out of the rain!
Then I heard an old grizzled, long-haired Central Asian chief, who had come down with the Amir, asking questions of a native officer.
“Now,” said he, “in what manner was this wonderful thing done?”
And the officer answered, “An order was given, and they obeyed.”
“But are the beasts as wise as the men?” said the chief.
“They obey, as the men do. Mule, horse, elephant, or bullock, he obeys his driver,and the driver his sergeant, and the sergeant his lieutenant, and the lieutenant his captain,and the captain his major, and the major his colonel,and the colonel his brigadier commanding three regiments, and the brigadier the general,who obeys the Viceroy, who is the servant of the Empress. Thus it is done.”
“Would it were so in Afghanistan!” said the chief, “for there we obey only our own wills.”
“And for that reason,” said the native officer, twirling his mustache,“your Amir whom you do not obey must come here and take orders from our Viceroy.”
Parade Song of the Camp Animals
ELEPHANTS OF THE GUN TEAMS
We lent to Alexander the strength of Hercules, The wisdom of our foreheads,the cunning of our knees; We bowed our necks to service: they ne’er were loosed again,--Make way there--way for the ten-foot teams Of the Forty-Pounder train!
GUN BULLOCKS
Those heroes in their harnesses avoid a cannon-ball,And what they know of powder upsets them one and all;Then we come into action and tug the guns again--Make way there--way for the twenty yoke Of the Forty-Pounder train!
CAVALRY HORSES
By the brand on my shoulder, the finest of tunes Is played by the Lancers, Hussars, and Dragoons,And it’s sweeter than “Stables” or “Water” to me--The Cavalry Canter of “Bonnie Dundee”!
Then feed us and break us and handle and groom, And give us good riders and plenty of room,And launch us in column of squadron and see The way of the war-horse to “Bonnie Dundee”!
SCREW-GUN MULES
As me and my companions were scrambling up a hill, The path was lost in rolling stones,but we went forward still; For we can wriggle and climb, my lads, and turn up everywhere, Oh,it’s our delight on a mountain height, with a leg or two to spare!
Good luck to every sergeant, then, that lets us pick our road;Bad luck to all the driver-men that cannot pack a load: For we can wriggle and climb, my lads,and turn up everywhere, Oh, it’s our delight on a mountain height, with a leg or two to spare!
COMMISSARIAT CAMELS
We haven’t a camelty tune of our own To help us trollop along,But every neck is a hair trombone (_Rtt-ta-ta-ta!_ is a hair trombone!) And this our marching-song: _Can’t!Don’t!Sha’n’t!Won’t!_ Pass it along the line!Somebody’s pack has slid from his back, Wish it were only mine!Somebody’s load has tipped off in the road--Cheer for a halt and a row!_Urrr!Yarrh!Grr!Arrh!_ Somebody’s catching it now!
ALL THE BEASTS TOGETHER
Children of the Camp are we, Serving each in his degree; Children of the yoke and goad,Pack and harness, pad and load. See our line across the plain, Like a heel-rope bent again,Reaching, writhing, rolling far, Sweeping all away to war!While the men that walk beside, Dusty, silent, heavy-eyed,Cannot tell why we or they March and suffer day by day. _Children of the Camp are we,Serving each in his degree; Children of the yoke and goad, Pack and harness, pad and load!_