The Middlebury register. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1850-1882, 1881-04-01
MULE VERSUS BEES.
a Terrific Encounter Graphically De,

a Terrific Encounter GrsphicsIIx Ds-
sorfbed. Lag u ~
was visiting gentleman who lived
IN the vicinity of Los Angeles. The
morning was beautiful. The plasli of
little cascades about the grounds, the
buzz Of bees. and the gentle moving cf
the foliage OF the pepper trees in the
scarcely perccptible ocean-breeze made
mp picture which thought was com
plete: II was not. A mule wandered
on the scene. The sceno, I thought,
could have got along without him. He
took different view. or course mules
were not allowed oD the grounds. That
Is what he knew. That was his reason
for being there. recognized him. Had
met him. His lower lip hung down.
ne looked disguised. 1t seemed he
didn like being a mule.
A day or two before. while / was try
ing to pick up little child who had got
too near this mules heels, he kicked me
two or three times before l could tell
from which way was, hit. Knight have
avoided some Of the kicking, but, in nv
confusion, began to kick at the mule.
didn't kick with him long. He ont
numbered me. He browsed along on the
choice shrubbery. forgot the beauty
OF the morning. Remembered q black
and blue mark on my leg. 1t looked like
the print of mules hoof. There was
another on my right hip. Where my
suspenders crossed were two more, as
have been informed. They were side by
side-twin blue spots, and seemed to be
about the same age. ! thought of re-
venge. didn't want TO kick with him
any more. No. But thought,if l had him
tied down good and fast, so he could not
move his heels, how like sweet incense
1t would be to first saw his ears and
tail smooth of, then put out his eyes
with red hot poker. then skin him
alive. then run him through threshing
machine.
While ! was thus thinking, and get
ting madder and madder, the mule.
which had wandered up close to a bee,
hive, got stung. His eyes lighted up,
as If that was Just what he was looking
Tor. be turned on that beehive and
took aim. He fired. In ten seconds
the only piece of beehive 1 could see
was about the size q man feels when he
has told joke that falls on the COM
pany like a piece of sad news. This
piece was in the air. It was being
kicked at. The bees swarmed. Thev
swarmed good deal. They Lit on the
mule earnestly. After he had kicked
the last piece Of beehive so high that
he could not reach II any more, be
ing to ascertain whether the 10000 bees
which were stinging him meant it. They
did. Tne mule turned loose. never
saw anything to equal it. He was'en-
veloped in dense fog OF earnestness and
bees, and filed with enthusiasm and
stings.. The more he kicked, the higher
he arose from the ground. l may have
been mistaken, for was somewhtt ex-
cited and very much delighted. but the
mule seemed to rise as high as the tops
of the pepper trees. The pepper trees
were twenty feet high. He would open
and shut himself like frog swimming.
Sometimes. when he was in mid-air, he
would look like he was flying, and l
would think for moment he was about
TO become An angel. Only for moment.
There are probably no mule angels.
When he had got up to the tops OF the
pepper trees, was called to breakfast.
l told them didn't want any brt ak fast.
The mule continued to Do busy.
When a mule kicks himself clear of the
earth, his heels seldom reach higher
than his back; that is, mules fore
legs oan reach forward, and his hind
legs backward, until the mule becomes
out into a line of mule
parallel with the earth, and fifteen OF
twenty feet therefrom. This mules
hind legs, however, were not only
raised into line with his back, but they
would come over until the bottom OF
the hoofs almost touched his ears.
The mule proceeded as II he desired
to hurry through. / had no idea how
many bees hive would hold until saw
that beehive emptied on that mule
They covered him 80 completely that
could not see any OF him but the glare
of his eyes. could see, from the ex-
4f hso hat hn Irfk
the way things were going.
The mule still went on in an absorbed
kind of way.
Not only was every treo of the dis
turbed hive en- duty. but think the
news bad been conveyed to neighboring
hives that war had been declared. !
could see bees fitting to and fro. The
mule was covered so deep with bees
that he looked like m exaggerated mule.
The hum of the bees, and their moving
on each other, combined into seething
HIS. A sxeet CAIN AID gentle peaceful
ness re; vaded ne. When he had kicked
Tor un Inur he began to fall short of the
,ops Cf the pepper trees. He WAS set-
Ting down closer to the earth. Numbers
were telling on him. He looked dis
Iressei. He had always been used to
kicking against somethisg, but found
now that he was striking the air. II
was very exhaus,ing.
He finally got so that he did not rise
clear OF the ground, hut continued to
kick with both fe't for half an hour,
next with first one foot and then the
Dlber for another hall an hour. then with
his right foot only every few minutes,
The intervals growing longer and longer,
until lie finally was still. Ills head
dropped, his lip hung lower and lower.
The bees stung on. He looked as II he
thought that a mean, sneaking advan-
age had been taken of him.
l retired from the scene. Early the
next morning returned. The sun came
slowly up from behind the eastern hills.
The light foliage of the pepper trees
with his morning caress. His
golden kiss fell upon the opening roses.
A bee could be seen flying hither, an
,ther thither. The mule lay near the
'cene of yesterdays struggle. Peace
lad come to him. He was dead. Too
much kicking against nothing.
helo7e, in January Californian.