|
||||||||
The gun-bullocks rolled their cuds, and answered both together: The seventh yoke of the first gun of the Big Gun Battery. We were asleep when the camels came, but when we were trampled on we got up and walked away. It is better to lie quiet in the mud than to be disturbed on good bedding. We told your friend here that there was nothing to be afraid of, but he knew so much that he thought otherwise. Wah! They went on chewing. That comes of being afraid, said Billy. You get laughed at by gun-bullocks. I hope you like it, young un. The young mules teeth snapped, and I heard him say something about not being afraid of any beefy old bullock in the world; but the bullocks only clicked their horns together and went on chewing. Now, dont be angry after youve been afraid. Thats the worst kind of cowardice, said the troop-horse. Anybody can be forgiven for being scared in the night, I think, if they see things they dont understand. Weve broken out of our pickets, again and again, for hundred and fifty of us, just because a new recruit got to telling tales of whip-snakes at home in Australia till we were scared to death of the loose ends of our head-ropes. Thats all very well in camp, said Billy. Im not above stampeding myself, for the fun of the thing, when I havent been out for a day or two; but what do you do on active service? Oh, thats quite another set of new shoes, said the troop-horse. Dick Cunliffes on my back then, and drives his knees into me, and all I have to do is to watch where I am putting my feet and to keep my hind legs well under me, and be bridle-wise. Whats bridle-wise? said the young mule. By the Blue Gums of the Back Blocks, snorted the troop-horse, do you mean to say you arent taught to be bridle-wise in your business? How can you do anything, unless you can spin round at once when the rein is pressed on your neck? It means life or death to your man, and of course thats life or death to you. Get round with your hind legs under you the instant you feel the rein on your neck. If you havent room to swing round, rear up a little and come round on your hind legs. Thats being bridle-wise. We arent taught that way, said Billy the mule stiffly. Were taught to obey the man at our head: step off when he says so, and step in when he says so. I suppose it comes to the same thing. Now, with all this fine fancy business and rearing, which must be very bad for your hocks, what do you do? That depends, said the troop-horse. Generally I have to go in among a lot of yelling, hairy men with knives-long shiny knives, worse than the farriers knivesand I have to take care that Dicks boot is just touching the next mans boot without crushing it. I can see Dicks lance to the right of my right eye, and I know I am safe. I shouldnt care to be the man or horse that stood up to Dick and me when were in a hurry. Dont the knives hurt? said the young mule. Well, I got one cut across the chest once, but that wasnt Dicks fault A lot I should have cared whose fault it was, if it hurt! said the young mule. You must, said the troop-horse. If you dont trust your man, you may as well run away at once. Thats what some of our horses do, and I dont blame them. As I was saying, it wasnt Dicks fault. The man was lying on the ground, and I stretched myself not to tread on him, and he slashed up at me. Next time I have to go over a man lying down I shall step on himhard. |
||||||||
|
||||||||
|
||||||||
Copyright: All texts on Bibliomania are © Bibliomania.com Ltd, and may not be reproduced in any form without our written permission. See our FAQ for more details. | ||||||||