The new North-west. [volume] (Deer Lodge, Mont.) 1869-1897, 1881-01-28
THE MULE AND THE BEES.
A Kicking Mules Sad Experience with . Bee
Hive.

| was visiting gentleman who lived In tn
vicinity Of Los Angeles. The morning wa
beautiful. The plash of little cascades abou
the grounds, the buzz of bees and the gentl
moving Of the foliage Of the pepper trees ii
the scarcely perceptible ocean breeze mad
up picture which thought was complete
1t was not. A mule wandered on the scene
The scene, thought, could have got alonl
i without him. He took different view.
OF course mules were not allowed on tn
grounds. That Is what he knew. That wa
his reason for being there.
recognized him. Had met him. Hi
lower Zip hung down. He looked disguised
1t seemed he didn't like being mule.
Aiday or two before, while / was trying u
pick mp little child who had got too neal
this mules heels. he kicked me two or three
times before could tell from which way
was hit. might have avoided some Of thu
kicking, but in my confusion began TO kicl
at the mule. didn't kick at him long. lie
outnumbered me.
He browsed along OH the choice shrubbery
forget the beauty of the morning. Re
membered black and blue spot on my leg:
1t looked like the print of a 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 revenge. I didn't want to
kick with him any more. No. But thought
If had him tied down and fast, so he could
not move his heels, how like sweet incense II
would be to first saw his ears and tail smooth
off; then put out his eyes with red-hot po-
ker, then skin him alive, then run him
through threshing machine.
While was standing thus thinking and
| getting madden, the mule, which had wand
cred up to large beehive, got stung. His
eyes lighted up, as II that was just what he
had been looking for. He turned on the
beehive and took aim. He fired. In ten
seconds the only piece of beehive that /
could see was about the size man feels when
he has told joke that falls on the company
like piece of sad news. This piece was in
| the air. 1t was being kicked at.
The bees swarmed. They swarmed good
| deal. They lit on that mule earnestly. AZ
ter he had kicked the last piece of beehive
| so high that he could not reach 1t any more,
he stopped for an instant. He seemed trying
to ascertain whether the 100000 bees which
were singing him meant it. They did.
The mule turned loose. never saw any
thing to equal it. He was enveloped in a
dense fog of earnestness and bees and filed
with enthusiasm and stings. The more he
kiceed the higher he arose from the ground.
may have been mistaken, for was some
what excited and very much delighted, but
that 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 would think for mo-
ment he was about to become an angel.
angels.
When he had got up to the tops of the pep
per trees was called to breakfast. 1 told
them didn't want any breakfast.
The mule continued to be busy.
When mule kicks himself clear Of the
earth, his heels seldom reach higher than his
back that is, mules fore-legs can reach
forward, and his hind-legs backward until
the mule becomes Strengthened out into a
line Of mule parallel with the earh and fifteen
faaft has srI
legs, however, were not only raised into a
line with his back, but they would come
over until the bottom of the hoofs almost
| touched his ears.
The mule proceeded as IL he desired to
| hurry through.
lad no idea how many bees hive would
hold until saw that beehive emptied on
that mule. They covered him so completely
that could not see any Of him but the glare
of his eyes. could see from the expression
of his eyes that he didn't like the way things
were going.
That mule still went on in an absorbed
kind Of way.
Not only was every bee of the disturbed
hive on duty, but think the news had been
conveyed to the 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 an exaggerated
mule. The hum Of the bees and there NOV
ing on each other combined In seething
hiss.
A sweet calm and gentle peacefulness per-
vaded me.
When he had kicked for an hour he began
to fall short of The tops of the pepper trees.
He was settling down closer to the earth.
Numbers were telling ON him. He looked
distressed. He had always been used to
kicking against something, but found now
that he was striking the air. 1t was very
exhausting.
He finally got 50 he did not rise clear Of
the ground, but continued to kick for half an
hour; next with first one foot and then the
other for another half hour; then with his
right foot every few minutes, the intervals
growing longer and longer, until he finally
was still. His head droped, his lips hung
lower and lower. The bees stung on. He
looked Is Ii he thought that mean, sneak
ing advantage had been taken Of him.
retired from the scene. Early next morn
Ing / returned. The sun came slowly up
from behind the Eastern hills. The light
foliage OF the pepper trees trembled with his
morning caress. His golden kiss fell upon
the morning roses. A bee could be seen n.y.
ing hithsr, another thither. The mule lay
near the scene Of yesterdays struggle. Peace
hath come to him. He was dead. Too
much kicking against nothing. Lock Ne
lone.
Not Much OF q Loss.
A young lady recently went into . drug
store and had prescriptions made up.
@How much7" inquired the lady.