48 



THE HORSE AND THE WAR 



side of his parentage the procession will be resumed. They will follow like good 

 sheep that dislike being separated. 



Sometimes one doubts very seriously, but on the whole I am incUned to 

 believe that the " moke " has a distinct sense of humour. So many funny 

 things have been said and written about him that the general public undoubt- 

 edly believes him to be a funny beast, that is, when he is not a savage one. 

 Both ideas are exaggerated. The idea of humour probably arises out of 





f>^ 



Often a little more serious than " a certain liveliness." 



inquisitiveness. When not working he must be finding something to do with 

 legs and mouth. I am reminded of an incident in an advanced mule line near 

 Ypres. A number of our friends were tethered in the open on a long rope, and 

 a farrier was engaged in shoeing one. The mule thus being attended to stood 

 quietly enough, and the stooping farrier was performing his task so conscien- 

 tiously and well that he was naturally astonished when the next mule endea- 

 voured to take a mouthful from the seat of his breeches. Of course, he turned 

 round sharply, as one would on being stung in a particularly susceptible part 

 of the anatomy, and, while his back was turned once more, the mule he had 



