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 withers, 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, And 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, And 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 is our marching-song: _Can't! Don't! Shan'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, Beaching, 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 hiss degree; Children of the yoke and goad, Pack and harness, pad and load._ IF-- If you can keep your head when all about you Are losing theirs and blaming it on you; If you can trust yourself when all men doubt you, But make allowance for their doubting too; If you can wait and not be tired by waiting, Or being lied about, don't deal in lies, Or being hated don't give way to hating, And yet don't look too good, nor talk too wise: If you can dream--and not make dreams your master; If you can think--and not make thoughts your aim; If you can meet with Triumph and Disaster And treat those two impostors just the same; If you can bear to hear the truth you've spoken Twisted by knaves to make a trap for fools, Or watch the things you gave your life to, broken, And stoop and build 'em up with worn-out tools: