Sugar planter. [volume] (West Baton Rouge [i.e. Port Allen, West Baton Rouge Parish, La.]) 1856-1925, 1866-04-14
MULE THAT NEVER SURREN-
DERED.

~ cf1tteF toe, when disposed 10 De GOWN
at the heeI-and for stubborness and
jackassical notions, nothing from a fool
ish woman to a possun, takes down your
%long.eared, knotty and rascally mule. !
have seer NOR. fun among niggers and
mules in a month, than l ever saw in all
the circuses and bippodromes under crea'
TONS canopy. A mule is no fool. He
may look sleepy, b~ul'et-headed and stupid,
but even in such an attitude, with bis
ears back, feet puckered together, tail
hitched i'll between his legs, he may be
planning the sbrewdest trick or most
desperate scheme of rasca!iiy known to
the hybrid race.
"An ancient of the "puke" (%Illinoian)
named Billy Blossom who had any guam
tity of experience among mules-in fact
he was brought up" among them al
most-was a hero in a scrimage in West
ern Tennessee, which l think will bear
relating. | don't know that there was
any particular number Of words in
the affair, but you can bet your saddle
there was a big chance Of fun. Billy
was dl AN D., Otoel "is0 o uJutC oits0Ay
He had driven the vsrmints from Ten
nessee 10 all sorts of markets 4; from
Memphis to New York ; from Knoxville
to Charleston ; he had Their whole history
at his finger ends" as be would say /;
and yet Billy was the worst used up
muleteer you ever did see | reckon.
Billy Blossom, you see, had retired,
lightly in disgust to bis native place,
Rattle-Snake Fork, Of Mud Greek, Big
Bottom on the Illinois. There at Crabbs
Grocery, on the cross roads to Galena,
used 10 hang, round, spin yarns, absorb
!" red-eye," aud watch the trav ling COM
munity passing towards the Far West.
Billy was minus one eye, two. fingers
from the right hand, o leg forming a
we'll arched bow, the other out at the
knee, with sundry other outs aud
ms, all more or less The result OF bis ex-
perience ans combats with mules.
One day Il mover from Kentucky en-
route for Missouri, CHANGED to camp near
Crabs Grocery at the crossroads, and
among the other plumber was some seven
or eight loose mules, buck darks, &c.
Now the mules took it in their sconces
next evening, to cut up som queer d.
does. One old, %sulIen, fiopeared set the
example, by Dipping a negro by the
fragments Of bis corduroys, as he leaned
down to pick up a corr basket, and Civ
iug his head a jerk up, brought a piece
an inch deep into. the oegro's latest part
You better believe there was a yell
"Oh-oh b ! good golly-oh | mighty !
m mur-der'
"H-and scissors p old Billy cries, as
he bears the yell" what's loose ?"
"By gum!p says old Crab, Billy, that
ere nigger's bamstruus by a d. mule,
sure as death !"
The way Billy numbered down 10 the
camp OF movers was a caution to ~cripples.
He got around just in time TO see another
niger chased Nv a mule to a wagon, and
the niger jumped just seven feet into
the air, smartly propelled by both hind
feet Of tie mule.
"Only look at the ID critter !" saws
C.ly, levying at the head of another with
a stout cudge1, which he always toated
around with him.
"Take care, massa y roars a nigger in
Dilly's rear, "take care, dar's a cuss be.
hind you gwine TO leubel you p
"~lley--hey! you ID crisler, hey! l
say. hey, hey ("
"Wee-e e-eel !" was the bybril's an
swcr, as he put bctI, feet at Dilly's re-
treating fiont-for Billy faced The charge
beautifuly-cryiDg out "hey, hey !"-
Down went Billy, heels over appetite in.
to'he muck: Fortunately, lie caught the
force Of the lick upon his cudgel and arm
anu hence, beyond a pretty considerable
jar and q stunning fall, Billy was as
good rs wheat, and husseled up again
mighty spry, none too 5000, however, to
escape The same mule, which, after a nip
at The negro, seemed refreshed for a grand
rasly-dank movement-double quick
time ! forward 10 The charge -,
Hey, hey! Yo-vo-yoa id cuss p
cries Billy breaking for The road, followed
by The vjscious beast, grinoisg aud squall-
ing with ~demouiacal .elight at the muss
be was kicking up ia The camp,
"Hallo y cries the mover, who had
been temporarily absent during the muss;
" hello, what's going on ; is1that mule at
it again ?"
"Ye-yes, sab he, be-, he's jess about
killed Sam stone dead, sab r. says one of
the young darks.