The Pascagoula democrat-star. (Pascagoula, Miss.) 1878-1920, 1881-02-11
That Mule

lying in a vacant lot on Sixth
street, and groaning dreadfully.
There was nothing remarkable
about the mule, except that he was
as thin rs boarding house soup and
appeared to be in the last stages Of
consumption. A crowd gathered
around the prostrate form of the
poor animal, and one man enquired:
"Why dou't some Que shoot him
aud put him out of his misery "
"You can't do it unless you see
the board of health" replied an.
other, aud then the crowd began
to surmise the cause OF the mules
sickness.
ats the botts," said u little man
whose complexion was the color ol
dried gourd, "see how he heaves."
"More like the cholera" replied
another, whenever their neck's
swollen you can just gamble your
last cent on its being the cholera"
The crowd divided on the ques'
tion, aud one.half swore 1t was tue
bolts, aud the other were equally
MS firm III thslr belief that 1t vas u
pure case of cholera While the
argument was going on aud the
mule groaning, an old negro with
IL rheumatic curl in one leg and a
whitewash brush in his baud, edged
his way through the crowd, ana az
ter looking at the mule, carefully
said:
Gem'en, dat mules 'flicted with
de line 'stemper. | kin tell it de
mint | sees it. Dat's powerful
likely looking auermul, an Use
raised 'em an haudled 'cm ever
since | wus or chile, an | tell yer
right now eff yer git dat mule dar
on his feet an glib i'm u s'lution ob
turkentime an gunpwder he's
gwine ter get well, sho's yer stand
in whar yer is, 1t am er rank
burnin' sin fur er yalerble anermul
ter be ler hyar ter die. Why, |
clar' fore de Lord, dat mule dar am
wuff er hundred dollars at dis mint
an it emmy body'll help git him up
Tll 'tend to i'm myself"
Three or four negroes volunteer
ed their services, and getting
around the mule began to lift, but
about the time they got him hall
way up he tottered, his legs gave
in aud he fell to the ground with
sepulchral groan.
"Look hyar,' said the aged ne
gro, "sum ob yer boys hunt ful
piece OBJ scantlin' an we'll jes put
it under his stumick an prize hiu
up, dat's de propah way ter lift el
mule ennyhow."
The piece of timber was brought
and placed under the mule, aud th'
old negro taking held OF one ent
said +:
"Now'se de time, let i'm CONF
kinder steady. Dat's it, be keeffu
dar. Look hyar, you niggah ON d.
udder side, yer amt liffin er pound
Bless my soul, man, fore de Lore
/ why doan' yer drap yer feet III IL
groun' an les git dis mule up au
stop foolin' bout It,"
The men tugged with a will, ant
the next instant the mule stood OF
his feet. He braced himself, pu
his tail between his legs, and be
tore the crowd could realize wha
he was about he cut aloose with hi
hind legs and knocked the old ne
gro who had "raised mules owe
two furlougs of ground, then layini
his ears back he hit the crowd as
body and laid out four men VIII
|, had lust returned from u dru
! store with gnnpowder and turper
tine to give hic,.
/, After that he snorted a couple Q
! times, shook himself and bega
! feeling on the grass as RI nothln
4 unusual had happened. d,
"Now, dat jes' shows yer d
nasty, low lived meanness Oh e
mule.n said the old darkey, as b
I. got up and shook the dirt out {
| his hair, Dat jes' pints out Y
|. foxes dat dar amt no pendence te
! be put in 'em no time. | 'clar for
de Lord dat dey'll kill yer viii
Z yer is trying ter help 'elr QUITE
: dere pain, de nasty, contemporary
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