Arizona weekly enterprise., 1882-09-02
0oDouerinr a Enle.

"Don ApDleDy, Ol ct. LOUIS. uau u 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 suthin'. Well, the next day after Ben got i'm home he tried ter hitch i'm up, but he wouldn't be hitched. He jest everlast- in'ly kicked the wagon inter splinters. He kicked one eend outer ther stable, an kicked ter stall down, an kicked everything in sight. Ben took i'm out in the corn-field one day, an' hitched i'm to blow, but he up an kicked that blow over inter ther next lot. He was all right under saddle, but ther mint Ben tried ter hitch i'm ter anything he jest kicked it outer sight. No matter where he was, if things didn't suit i'm, he jest let himself out an kicked. No body but Ben dast go near i'm. We'll, 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 a way 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: Git on to me; I'm Ben Applcby's kickin', mule, an don't yer forgit it. When Ben would be ridin' i'm Tong ther road an they'd pass another mule, he'd jist git his ears in position an wink an grin as much as ter say: Pm the only mule in this county. I'm a kicker, am.' He seemed to understan' thet he had the dead wood on Ben, an thet nobody could hitch i'm to no sort of vehicle. He got chuck, ram, jam full of conceit, an use ter parade hissef aroun' 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 ali sorts Ter ways. He hitched i'm to a mowin' machine, an the result was he had ter git a 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 swore he'd take the conceit outer that animal if it tuk his hull farm. Then he begun to study up ther 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, I'll give yer five dollers, if you'll let me hitch l my mule ter that mersheen.' Git out | yer mule sez the man, an Ben led i'm outer the stable. He can't pull it, sez 1 tee man. Never mine,' sez Ben, 'he | kin try it. So he led the mule out in the road, an the mule he knowed in q mint what was goin' on. He cooked his ears backards an forrards, an grinned and sez to hisself:
 "'They'm goin' to hitch me to that thing. Dog-gore my skin, I'll kick it inter the next county. I'm Ben Alp pleby's kickin' mule, I am. Watch me now an see how 1 do it.
 Well, Ben an the man got 'in hitched up to the mersheen an he be- gan to kick agin ther boiler-head. He kicked, an he kicked, an he kicked
 but the mersheen never budged. Ber an the man stood on the fence watch
 in the job. an the man a-laughin' tC
 kill hissclf. Benlooked kinder satisfied
 but he never fetched a smile. Bimeby
 the mule settled down on his four legs
 an swung his head an said to hisself
 "'Wat lline of dog-gone vehicle i
 this, any how? She don't fetch wortl
 cent. Maybe somethin's the matte
 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 his heels agin that boiler-heac
 till he was black in the face, but sh
 never weakened. Then he'd stop an
 take breath an swear, an then he'c
 kick agin'. "Well. sir, he kep' that u
 fur half an hour, till he was as weak a cat. an then he stopped an foppe
 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 bac to the stable. The next day he hitche
 i'm up to 2 buggy, an he trotted O without sayin' a word, an to-day he as decent an respectable mule as the is in the county. Ben's wife drives il to town mos every day in layton.