Last came the screw guns , and Billy the mule carried himself as though he commanded all the troops , and his harness was oiled and polished till it winked . I gave a cheer all by myself for Billy the mule , but he never looked right or left . 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 can not 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 , XXXXX , 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 .
Viceroy advance back beasts eyes horse men officer reins review