Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1883-01-24
PUBLIC LEDGER.
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Uow 10 Catch a Mule.

ALk
and chilly October day. that | APP
preached a deep and seemingly unford-
able river ia Red River county, which
afterwards learned Was csllsd Sui
thur. Neddy and | we're all alone,
and logged on our wearied way in
blissful peace and harmony. He had
behaved himself With the greatest
Kindness, docility and tractability for
the few weeks preceding, and l could
not help from frequently uttering the
refrain, NEEDY was my mule):
"IfI had a donkey that would not 90,
Doyou thibk would wouop himy No! no. no!
ia give him oats and hay and corn,
Gel Vocal Come up, Neody.
This spirit or feeling within me,
thinks l, will certainly bring me to
the elevated stage of life, so as to be a
follower Of the illustrious Berg, and
in some secluded hamlet / myself may
see alter the welfare Of the inferior
part of creation, and let humanity
stalk along-lene and indifferent, re-
Ceiving neither respect or sympathy
from their kind, which is a fact, but
ny finer feelings and love will be ded>
icated to Neddy. ENW
Having arrived on the bank of the
stream, the problem was how to cross.
But philosophy came to my aid,
Thinks /, if | diyest myself Of my
clothing aud tie them in a bundle on
the horn OF the saddle, and as | can
not swim, | certainly can swing on to
the tail OF my companion, aud we
three may cross 10 safety, viz: Neddy,
myself and my clothing. No sooner
resolved on than | commenced opera
tions. So diyesting myself of my ap.
parel, | bundled them tightly together
and with the aid of a string or cord
cut from deer hide, which | fortu,
nately had in my pocket. tied the
bundle 10 the horn of the saddle
and directed Neddy towards the
waters edge. Before entering
thought that a few words of encour.
agement, and not Of censure, would
assist him to stem the tide so pulling
some grass aud givingit to him, | thus
said to myself aud to him; "Neddy, my
boy, we are in for it. IT'S now sink
or swim, live or die. This river hal
got to be crossed, and you are the
ship Of State on this occasion. l
your backbone sticks to your tail anC
your tail sticks to your backbone, resi-
assured | will cling thereto there il
no secession in this. So directing hi,
head into the river | followed, grasp
ing his tail, but with deep solemnity
as the occasion demanded. 1t il
wonderful to think with what tenacit!
| hung on 10 that tail. | even sur
prised myself, However, we go
safely over, and 10 order to dry M
skin / thought that a little juvenile
race up aud down the river banI
would do me good and leave my com
panion Neddy to quietly browse. s.
| started up and down and ran her
and there until circulation again Sc.
in, and remembering the fact tina
water produces no cOld-'tis eVapora
ton only that produces cOld-I wen
to my bundle of clothing.
Whoa, hs! boy, Neddy, as l gently
approached him, but with a snort ant
a bound and a deft habit be had o
tapping his left ear over his left eye
be looked on me askance. Whoa
Neddy, says | in my gentlest modula
tion Of voice; poor fellow 1t was n
use. His next position, as he glance,
upon my person, was that OF a Buffal
bull; head dewn and tail up, and still
glazing at me as if | was a monster
| tried to e%xpostulate with him, an,
addressed him in the following words
"Neddy, you and | bave travele,
far together, but is it because you ar
in possession Of mysmall plumber tina
you should kick up your heels tina
way and give no attention to reason?
Still, as | approached him, he woul
look obviously at me and the nearer
came to him the more he would plung
and kick. | noticed with alarm tina
his kick was not a natural one; tina
is his heels we're not flung squsrely I
the rear, but it was q sort Of a tripo
kind Of a kick, rather a one, two, thre
LETT and right, or what | denominat
a society prance or german sort
movement, which boded i'll for hi
reason.
Thinking to be polite, even unto
mule, | plucked seme grass wit
which to decOy him, and said. I'D
ward, uttering a sound morely Pre-
duced by the vibration Of the lips, an
which | cannot express in words MOI
than the combination Of the fOllowin
letters: p nth r H, bu
still the brute Topped that left es
over us left eye and gave me a hel
and toe pirotte as If he was tran
formed into a French dancir
master. Alarge bundle of fine docl
weed being near, | pulled some
that. remembering at the same tin
the wise and provideut words Of Il
Duke Of Richmond during the starvi
ton times Of 1913, that dockwee
would make a good dish for an Irist
man. Edward, said |, you are o
better han an Irishman, so feed" N
use, no use. Twas only a gaze and
stare, a snort and a kick, with a pr,
tuberant tail. Then Neddy, sal
/, the contest is between you an
me; aud breaking a sspplir
from off a tree, | la
into him. He ran off and | after hin
l could not forget my early militia,
training in the march ofdouble quic
so clapping my elbows tightly over n
naked ribs, as a highland piper wou.
squeeze his wind bag, and thrown
my head well to the rear 10 inha
oxygen, Now, says |, it is you or n
for il. We travelled about one-ha
mile along the road at a speed tn
partook Of something like an electr
force. | oft times overlook the an
NAL, but that peculiar society kick Ike
me back from catching him. We 500
turned into a lane. Our speed W
terrific. when | noticed a few huudr,
yards in advance a nice dwelling, al
standing on the porch thereof was
gentleman and two young ladies. III
sight Mortified me,aud without thong
OF consequences | cast myself into Il
fest fence corner. Oh. dear o
dear that was no bed Of roses; ]