The Saline County journal. [volume] (Salina, Kan.) 1871-1893, 1880-01-29
we're filled with buckles

their teeth were filled with buckles
and old leather"
Now what can we say about the
mule? He SURPRISES the horse in many
respects he is the cheapest to keep,
he grows fat on corn stalks, he eats VI.
the stalk, he is the toughest, hardest
working. most patient, and the uieek-
est ''cuss" that ever lived. He runs
and jumps over a fence like . lsofsc.
but gets up close, then rears, gives q
kick and shoots over, and he always
means to do it when you are not look
ing. Then the wonder is, who let that
mule in. and he will walk out of the
gate with his eye half cooked, rs much
as TO say, ''I'll be in there again s0on."
His feet are small and he will draw a
pillow among the cotton and corn, or
the vegetables in the garden where
they are but IA inches apart, and not
step on a single plant. One that had
been pounded, half starved, overwork-
ed, and constantly reminded of his
owners cornpanicnship for nine long
years. spoiled his record for gentle.
ness by kicking his owners brains oass.
We never saw II mule with he,ul and
tail erect, and stamping along like
horse; no, his tail is down and he is
curled up, shutting along, apparently
half asleep. But mind you, he is study
ing deviltry, and one never knows
when !, Is going b break out. The
mule" il a cross between horse and
a JackaIs, and he feels so mean and
ashamed OF himself that he never
breeds. rode one last week for the
first time, and not being much of u
muleman, / occasionally pulled him
up to let him know that he had a mas
ter, but all the time he was having his
own way, and he knew y. He espie,i
another mule feeling about loo yards
distant aud he Was bound to make bis
Acquaintance, but jerked him around
and applied my heel to his ribs. and Us
he had been used to q spur. he started
off on q lope and then into run. /
held on 10 the pommel of the saddle,
but bounced up SO high and came
down 30 hard, that was fearful of In.
jurlng the mule, and appiied the curb
and brought him dawn to walk. He
soon found Out that had neither whip
Doy spur, and then he wonldn Z gallOp.
] applied my fist to his ribs several
times, and then he would strike into
one of those hard trots which churna
ones stomach. gave 1t up and let
him walk. All at opce heeoMmenced
shaking like jelly," and his ears were
| going hack aud forth, one at time. l
held on to the saddle wondering what
he would do next; he finally burst
out in one Of those sardonic laughs: he
had been shaking and laughing ipslde
until he couldn't hold in any Aanges.
When he arrived at the "h0me gate"
he concluded that lie wouldn't 60 any
farther. tried to argue. with him,
but he kept shaking his head, and 10
! dlsmounted and opened the gate;
! when | mounted he started in among
the trees, instead Of keepiAg the road
to the stable; jerltel Oh the bride in
time to prevent my leg being rubbed
| against b tree. ] supposed it was my
fault In pulling ON the rein, until that
mule began to laugh again, and then I
| knew that he meant Il. On dismount-
! ing at the stable, | looked him square
| in the face aud a more innocent, know.
nothing cOuntenance never Jaw, and
when he begged so humbly and tear
fully for an ca: Of corn, l gave il to
him. Mr.. l.. had an ugly mule who
had thrown and bruised negro badly.
Mr.. l.. then ''toOk him in hand" The
mule "bucked," and reared, and kick
ell, and tried to rub /, off against a
fence, hut l.. would curl up his leg on
top of the saddle, and let the mule
rake his own side. Then he would lie
down, but l.. would stepoff and mount
again as soon as the mule was up. The
mule gave up conquered. Mr.. T.. con-
graduated l.. on his victory; l.. re-
| piled, II want you to understand Sir,
that I was born in mule pen" The
day before Christmas q young negro
rode mule into the city. The mule
looked as though he had been fed on
| cObs; he was kneckneed, blind in one
eye, and sorry looking animal. He
| got his dander up for some reason and
began an indiscriminate appearing of
his heels. greatly to the disturbance Of
his riders nerves. He went careering
| among the other mules who were
hitchcd i'm front of the stores, and set
them to kicking. The cOlored indi-
vidual hung on for dear life, and the
mule rushed, and ran, and reared, and
kicked up. and kicked out, and flew
around, and cavorted about, and the
crowd howled with delight The nv
gro had TO get oft to soothe the ant
mails feelings Five minutes later that
pio,,s loaking mule stood hitehed to
post a. meek and quiet ~ lamb.
January 18th, peas. lettuce and other
vegetables We're up In the garden.
Some of the children have been hare
foot all winter, aud the blue birds and
mocking birds are singing all the
day" From the 18th of September 10
| the 10Th of March the days are longer
than they are in Kansas. The short
N l.. rs