ppen to yourself, I suppose?" asked the Elephant,
in his heavy and clumsy fashion.

"Beg pardon; did anyone speak?" inquired the Officer in the most
insulting of voices. For he despised the Elephant and wished to snub
him.

"I asked you if the same might not happen to yourself?" the Elephant
repeated, regardless of the Officer's attempt to make him appear
foolish. "What if the enemy serves you the same way?"

"That difficulty, my good beast," he answered in his most overbearing
manner, "is easily disposed of. We have special Soldiers trained to
_smell_ gunpowder. We have merely to send out these scouts, and we can
trace the gunpowder anywhere within gunshot."

"I don't believe it," said the Elephant.

The Officer at this laughed a grim laugh, truly awful to hear.

"Ha, Ha!" he exclaimed; "do not provoke me too far lest I slay you with
my sword. I'm a man of sport, and to do the act would cause me no little
diversion. Beware!"

The Elephant made no reply, which induced the Officer to think he had
frightened him.

"A great clumsy beast of no spirit," he said to his Soldiers.

"Right, sir," answered the Soldiers.

"Now to drill," he continued sharply. "Attention! Eyes right, eyes
left; right movement, left movement; swords out, swords in!
Mark--_time_!"

This last command they were obliged to obey with their heads, their feet
being tightly gummed on to the platform. So tightly gummed that they
could not get free even when Mortals were not present, and all the Toys
were at liberty to speak, walk, and talk. Indeed, nothing but a strong
blow could possibly loosen them from their position.

Therefore, when they marched or even took a simple walk they were
obliged to march or walk in a body, taking the platform with them.
Again, if the Commanding-officer granted leave of absence to one, he was
obliged to grant it to all, even to himself, otherwise no one could have
taken it.

"Come," said the Officer to the Elephant one day, "you are a bright
beast. Let me propound you a mathematical problem. If a herring and a
half cost three halfpence, how much would six herrings cost?"

"Just as much as they ought to, if you went to an honest fishmonger,"
answered the Elephant.

The Officer and his men laughed loudly.

"Capital, capital!" said the bully. "If you distinguish yourself in this
way we shall have to make you Mathematical Instructor-in-General to the
whole army."

But the Elephant made no reply.

"That's t