The Middlebury register. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1850-1882, 1872-11-12
Shoe!ng u Mule.

Six negroes on the common road. OPP
positc II blacksmith's shop, down in Ten
nesee, for over an hour were trying 10
persuade a young, tall, robust country
mule to allow himselft to bo shod They
put a rope collar around his neck, aud to
that attached line which, thrown OUT
between his hind legs, vas intended to
trip up each in turn and hold it ia posi-
ton while the blacksmith-Sam by name
operated on the hoof. For over an
hour this extraordinary mule fought the
six men, kicking away the trap laid for
his enslavement as easily as he might a
cobwe5. and describing high up in the
cir forked lightning diagrams with heels,
sight fearful to behold. Painting, yet
patient, their hats kicked off their heads,
their shns bruised and their heads, their
pants torn, the six gallent darkies stuck
TO that supernatural mule until fiually
they secured his right hind leg and had
his hoof laid on Sam the blacksmith's lap
ready for the sacrifice. BY this time all
the surrounding points of vantage were
occupied by spectators wrought up to the
most intense pitch Of excitement. Sam
the blacksmith was a tall. well built tel-
low. lie had his back to the mules
heal, and was in STOPPING position
over the hoof. In front of him, about
six feet, from the mules tail ia perious
distance) was circle Of about twenty
darkies awaiting the operation of putting
the shoe On with the most solemn interest
Never did mule draw such pious reverence
from like audience.
"Id ha'let him be-" said one "dar's
no use fussin' with such a good for
muffin mule as dat"
"Fo'God," exclaimed another in a low
and cautious tone, 81 do blieve in my so
de ole debble hsself is in dat dar meul."
rWot you speak like dat fo'?" said a
third, turning on the previous speaker.
"Dat mule hears everytin you say and
thinks it insulting Don't know wedder
the debbel is in him; but | do consequent
TALLY b'lieve dar's heap of kick in his
hind legs still. Guess whoever gets him
will tiuk so too. | wants my head insur-
ed when Use axed to nurse him."
In the meantime Sam had his imple-
ments ready, and an assistant farricr ap-
preached and laid the shoe tcnderly upon
the virgin hoof. A nail was inserted,
while Sam elevated his hammer to deliv-
er the pregnant blow that was to drive it
safely home. 1t was a moment of breath
less and agonizing suspense with whites
and blacks alike. The latter anticipated
a triumph for their race tho former pre-
pared to keep their sides from splitting
assunder. Sans legs shook. but he
brought down the hammer with all his
might, and at the same moment an ex-
plosiou occurred that fairly battles de-
scrption A trip hammer falling on a
ton weight of nitro.gly ycerine immured in
a tin box could hardly have produced any
more sudden and bewildering results
Quicker than thought the mule drew his
hind leg forward, and spriuging it back
with Incredible force, struck the still
STOPPING Sam square in the bulbous cen.
ter of his hind section, projecting him
forward in tho air like cannen ball from
a catapult Assam disappeared in space
he knocked all the darkics down in front
of him like ninepins, scattering them over
the road in all directions, aud landing
himself on top ofa snake fence twenty
feet away. The roar that went up from
"the assembled multitood' might have
boen heard in the next county. The
mule grew alarmed took to his heels,a and
amid the cheers OF the party orossed the
country for home and freedom. Poor
Sam had no shape to him when he came
to, and it will be many a long day before
the terminus of his spinal column forgeti
that visitation of mule power