Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1869-06-19


fly and give the poor brute merciless
clip between the eyes. Then the little
scamp would bring his long ears forward
in frightened manner, and trot on as If
surprised at what had taken place.
Mont generally gave the culprit sound
strapping, as a fit recognition of this
unusual sharpness.
On one occasion, after having admin
istered such correction, he walked
along beside the animal for considera-
BILE distance, occasionally bestowing q
gentle reminder with the inevitable raw
hide strap, which he called his little
JOKER" given by way of punctuation
marks in his yet unexhausted chapter OF
oaths.
The guilty donkey looked exceedingly
penitent as he ambled along beside his
prosecutor. 1t was a narrow path on
rocky hillside, and Mont had to. walk
right close beside the broad pannier OF
the mule.
All at once "Blue Devil" made pre-
tense of stumbling, although one OF the
surest footedanimals in the train, ,andsurg'
ing to one side brought his heavy pack
against Mout, with such force that he
was sent headlong down the bank, and
landed in thcket of artamesia, dozen
feet or more below. OF course B-dsm
had an opportunity of cultvating the &C.
ouaintance Of the little JOKER" for the
next half hour, for this amusement.
Once an accident revealed to this
tricky donkey the fact that, by squatting
down on his launches like q dog, the
wings of his long pannier would rest on
the ground, and thus relieve him OF its
weight to great extent. The little ras-
cal tried this amusing trick once too
often, for, sitting demurely down. as he
had often done before, on an ACTIVITY,
a loose stone on which the pannier rested
gave way, aud over MIR. Donkey went,
on his back, sprawling his legs out fran.
tically. And there he lay, kicking and
braying LASTLY. His pack was so broad
and so we'll strapped to his back that he
could only lie there, with head down hill,
and founder like fly in dish of mo-
lasses, while Mont stood by and triumph
antly applied his little JOKER" That
experiment broke the little rascal of sit
ting down to rest for long time after
ward.
Chance at one time led US to the dis
covery of species of revenge which
Mont was practicing on the irrepressible
" Blue Devil" but which was nowise
agreeable to most of the party. A con.
siderable portion of our baggage and
geaeral outfit consisted Of articles of
great weight, as compared with their
bulk. Among these were number OF
scientific instruments, an apparatus for
testing and analyzing waters, and instru-
ments for making meteorological and as
Economical observations.
II was easy to so distribute all our
affects as to form with these weightier ar
ticIes one very heavy pack, which yet
would not be above the average size. |
Well, Mont had secretly made such an ar
rangement, we discovered, for the especial
benefit of the little "Blue Devil"
Instead of distributing the instruments
among the different packs. and protect
ing them with the bedding and such other
light articles as he had at the first been
directed to do, he had made up burthen
of little less than four hundred pounds
weight, which he daily put upon the little
mule, as he said, to press the friskiness
out of him."
This had gone on some time without
attracting the attention of the party, and
The unhappy brute had Just all it could do
10 get along under the unusual load.
At length, one morning, number OF
instruments were kept out for use after
the packs had been mostly made up, and
the heavy burthen was on this occasion
distributed according to our design. The
prosecuted donkey reaped the advantage
Of this chance, and journeyed that day
with a lighter load, though Mont had still
contrived to give the little fellow more
than its share Of heavy pots and kettles.
Sometime about the middle of the after
noon we entered Eagle Pass, in the Lara
ME range of mountains. 1t was wild,
rocky canyon, narrow and deep, with
walls, in one part 2300 feet in
blight. A narrow path lay along the side
Of the cliff, like shelf on wall, alter
nately ascending aud descending at va
-ious attitudes. Ii was very rough,
irregular pathway, and from its extreme
larrowness in many places was difficult
md dangerous.
However, we passed the most difficult
part 10 safety, and at length began to
make the descent on the eastern slope.
Here, for the greater part Of the distance,
deep and rapid mountain stream poured
Is seething waters through the canyon.
The path at that point ran lower, the dis
ance down to the water being not more
han forty or fifty feet in many places, Of
which twelve to fifteen feet was sheer
,recipice, and the rest Of the distance an
.brupt acclivity Of loose shingle.
Just here an unfortunate accident be-
el our pack train. As the animal that
occupied the position just in front of our
title "Blue Devil was turning around
sharp, projecting rock, whore the way
vas unusually narrow and difficult,
oose strip in the framework of its pam
Iier came in contact With the projection,
nd in an instant the little mule, load aud
n, like big turtle in its shell, toppled
Iver the edge, aud rolled down into the
orient, and out Of sight.
Blue Devil" the little idiot, witness
ng this somersault, and evidently imsa-
ming that it was the deliberate act Of q