The Magnolia gazette. [volume] (Magnolia, Miss.) 1872-current, 1882-10-20
CoNoUERING 4 MULE.

St. Louis Republican.
"Beu Appleby, of st. Louis, had
mule" said the stableman, (which was
one of the knowingest cusses you ever
saw. dunno where Ben found him,
but, one day he came driyin' home with
this mule hitched ter the tail end OF his
wagon. He was an Innocent lookin' nni-
NAL, plump an' fat; an looked like he
was goin ter be good fer suthin. Well.
next day after Ben got i'm home he tried
ter hitch I'm up, but he wouldn't be
hitched. He ies everlastin'ly kicked
the wagon inter splinters. He kicked
one eend outer ther stable, an kicked
ther stall down, an kicked everything
iu sight Ben took i'm out in the corn
field one day. an hliched I'm to plow.
but he up an' kicked that pillow over in-
tel ther next lot. He was all right ull-
der saddle, but ther mint Ben tried ter
hitch i'm ter anything he Jest kicked II
outer sight. Nobody but Ben dast go
near i'm. Well, fually he diskivered
every one was scared of i'm, an lie got
the idee that he was thor greatest mule
iu that section of ther country. He had
way of q cxiu' one ear forrard an the
tother backwards, an winkin' one eye
when any one came near i'm, as much as
ter say: Git on me; I'm Ben Appleby's
kickin' mule, an don't yer forgit it. ;
When Ben wonld he ridin' i'm long
road an they'd pass another mule, he'd
iist git his ears in position an' wink an
grin as much as ter say. I'm the only
mule in this country. I'm kicker, |
am. He seemed to uuderstau' that lie
had ther dead wood on Ben, an that no.
body could hitch 'Im ter no sort OF We
hicle. He got chuck, ram, jam full OF
conceit, an use ter parade bisself aronn'
the barnyard like he owned the place.
Ben made up his mind as how the mule
wouldn't never be no count tell he was
broke to drive in harness. He tried all
sorts 'er ways. He hitcIled i'm to a NOW
m' mersheen, an the result was he had
ter git new mersheen. The mule KICK
ed it all outer shape. He broke up ev-
| erything that Ben tried ter hicth i'm to.
Bimeby, Ben got mad. He swore he'd
take the couceit outer that animal II II
TUX his bull farm. Then he began tei
study no ther case, till, one day mar
came along with one of them farm en-
eines what they run thrashiu' mersheent
with. Ben says ter i'm, III give yel
FIVE dollars il you'll let me hitch my
mnle ter that mersheen.' Git 'im ou
sez the man, an Ben led i'm outer the
stable. He can't pull il sez the man
Never miue,' sez Ben, she kin try it
So lie |, d the mule out inter the road
an the mule knowed in mint villa
was goin' on. He cooked his ears back
ards an forrardb, an grinned an sez tel
hisself:
"'They'm goin' ter hitch me ter tina
thing, Dog gone my skin, I'll kick ]
inter the next county. I'm Ben Apple
: bv's kicking mule, | am. Watch m
: now au' see how do it,.
: "Well Ben an the man got hin
hitched MP ter the mersheen an he he
gan ter kick agin the boiler-head. IL
kicked. an he kicked, but the mershee
never budged. Ben en' the man SAB o
the fence watchin' the job, an tb
man a-lauehin' ter kill hissef. Be
. looked kinder satisfied, but he Deve
fetched smile. Blmeby the mule SCI
tied down on bis four legs, an swun
: his head aroun' an said ter hissef:
, "sWat kline of Of a dog gone veilcl
; is this any how? She don't fetch wort
; a cent. Maybe somethin's the matte
with my legs. I'll go for it agiD, an,
/, how.
sAn' be set his teeth tereether an b.
! gan ter kick ngin. Well, sir, he han
! mered his heels agin' that boilerhead ii
he was black in the face. but she nev'
weakened. Then he'd stop an tai
) breath an swear, an then he'd k'c
: aein. Well. sir, he KEEP thai up fur ia
half an honr, till be vas ms weak as
] cat. then he stopped an topped bot
I ears forrard an cried like a baby. Bf
let him stan there little while, a
Q then he onhitched i'm an took i'm bat
ter the stable. The next day be hitch'
i'm up ter a buggy, an he trotied
, without saying word, an ter day he
as decent an respectable mule as tll'
is the county. Beu's wife dives i'm
town most every day in fayton.