“But are the beasts as wise as the men?” said the chief.

“They obey, as the men do. Mule, horse, 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 his gen­eral, who obeys the Viceroy, who is the ser­vant of the Em­press. Thus it is done.”