y line, because,
if you do, you may get fired at. Remember that, young un. Always keep
hidden as much as possible, even if you have to go a mile out of your
way. I lead the battery when it comes to that sort of climbing."

"Fired at without the chance of running into the people who are firing!"
said the troop-horse, thinking hard. "I couldn't stand that. I should
want to charge--with Dick."

"Oh, no, you wouldn't. You know that as soon as the guns are in
position they'll do all the charging. That's scientific and neat. But
knives--pah!"

The baggage-camel had been bobbing his head to and fro for some time
past, anxious to get a word in edgewise. Then I heard him say, as he
cleared his throat, nervously:

"I--I--I have fought a little, but not in that climbing way or that
running way."

"No. Now you mention it," said Billy, "you don't look as though you were
made for climbing or running--much. Well, how was it, old Hay-bales?"

"The proper way," said the camel. "We all sat down--"

"Oh, my crupper and breastplate!" said the troop-horse under his breath.
"Sat down!"

"We sat down--a hundred of us," the camel went on, "in a big square, and
the men piled our packs and saddles, outside the square, and they fired
over our backs, the men did, on all sides of the square."

"What sort of men? Any men that came along?" said the troop-horse. "They
teach us in riding school to lie down and let our masters fire across
us, but Dick Cunliffe is the only man I'd trust to do that. It tickles
my girths, and, besides, I can't see with my head on the ground."

"What does it matter who fires across you?" said the camel. "There are
plenty of men and plenty of other camels close by, and a great many
clouds of smoke. I am not frightened then. I sit still and wait."

"And yet," said Billy, "you dream bad dreams and upset the camp at
night. Well, well! Before I'd lie down, not to speak of sitting down,
and let a man fire across me, my heels and his head would have something
to say to each other. Did you ever hear anything so awful as that?"

There was a long silence, and then one of the gun bullocks lifted up his
big head and said, "This is very foolish indeed. There is only one way
of fighting."

"Oh, go on," said Billy. "Please don't mind me. I suppose you fellows
fight standing on your tails?"

"Only one way," said the two together. (They must have been twins.)
"This is that way. To put all twenty yoke of us to the big gun as