The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1882-09-15
Qonouering a Mnla.

Oonquering Mule
"Ben Appleby, of st. Louis. had a
mule" said the stableman, (which was
| one Of the knowingest cusses you ever
saw. dunno where Ben found him,
but, one day he come drivin' home with
this mule hitched ter the tail end of his
wagon. He was an innocent lookin'
animal, plump an fat. an looked like
he was goin' ter be good fer sr.hin'.
Well. the next day after Ben IN
homo he tried ter hitch i'm up. b., he
wouldn't be hitched. lie jest everlast-
in'ly kicked the wagon inter splinters.
He kicked one eend outer Their stable,
an kicked ter stall down, an kicked
everything in sight. Ben took i'm out
in the corn-tield one day, an hitched
i'm to q pillow, but he up an kicked that
pillow over inter Their next lot. lie was
all right under saddle. but Their mint
Ben tried ter hitch i'm ter anything he
jest kicked it outer sight. No matter
whore he was. if things didn't suit 'im,
he jest let himself out an kicked. No
body but Ben dast 90 near i'm. Well,
finally he diskivered that everybody was
scared Of i'm, an he got the idee that
he was the greatest mule in that section
Of ther country. He had away of cock
in one ear forward an the other back
ards an winkin' one eye when any one
came near I'm, as much as to say: Cit
OH to me; I'm Ben Appleby's kiokin'
mule, an don't yer forgit it. When
Ben would be ridin' i'm long ther road
an they'd pass another mule, he'd jist
git his ears in position an wink an grin
as much rs ter say: Pm the only mule
in this county. I'm kicker. am
He seemed TO understan' tibet he had
the dead wood on Ben, an tibet nobody
could hitch i'm TO no sort of a vehicle.
He got chuck. ram, jam full of conceit.
an use ter parade hisself aroun' tho
barnyard like lie owned the place. Ben
made up his mind as how tho mule
wouldn't never be no count tell he was
broke to drive in harness. He tried all
sorts Ter ways. He hitched i'm to q
mowin' machine, an the result was he
had ter git new machine. The mule
kicked it all outer shape. He broke up
everything that Ben tried ter hitch i'm
to. Bimeby Ben got mad. He sworc
he'd take the conceit outer that animal
II 1t TUX his hull farm. Then he begun
to study up Their case, till. one day a
man came along with one of them farm
engines what they run thrashin' mer-
sheens with. Ben says to i'm. 'Pll give
yer five dollers. if you'll let me hitch
my mule ter that mersheen.' Git out
yer mule sez the man, an Ben led i'm
outer the able. He can't pull it, SEE
tee man. Never mine,' SEE Ben, he
kin try it, So he led the mule out in
the road, an the mule he knowed in a
mint what was goin' on. He cooked
his ears backards an forrards, an
grinned and SEE to hisself:
"'They'm goin' to hitch me 20 that
thing. Dog-gone my skin. I'll kick
it inter the next county. I'm Ben APP
pleby's kickin' mule, am. Watch me
now an see how do it.
swell, Ben an the man got i'm
hitched up to the mersheen an he be-
gan to kick agin Their boiler-head. He
kicked, an he kicked, an he kicked,
but the mersheen never budged. Ben
an the man stood on the fence watch
in the job. an the man a-laughin' to
kill hisseh. Ben looked kinder satisfied,
but he never fetched q smile. Bimeby
the mule settled down on his four legs.
an swung his head an said to hisself:
"'Wat kline Of dog-gone vehicle is
this, any how? She don't fetch worth
2 cent Maybe somethin's the matter
with my legs. I'll go it agin. anyhow
AN he set his teeth together an be-
gan to kick agin, Well, sir, he ham,
mered bis heels agin that boiler-head
till ha was hlack in tho faca lint Sho
never weakened. Then he'd stop an
take breath an swear. an then he'd
kick agin'. swell, sir, he KEEP that up
fur half an hour, till he was as weak as
cat. an then he stopped an Topped
both ears forrard an cried like baby.
Ben let i'm stan there little while, an
then he onhitched i'm an took i'm back
to the stable. The next day he hitched
i'm up to buggy, an he trotted off
without sayin' word, an to-day he's
as decent an respectable a mule as they
Is in the county. Ben's wife drives i'm
tn TOWN uos, avary dav In a favfon