The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1884-06-05
Saved by a Mule.

Doctor William A. Hammond, in an
article on "The Will and its Derange.
ment," printed in the Youths Companion,
tells the good story One afternoon some
thirty years ago, while stationed at Fort
Webster, near the Rio Gila, in what is
now Arizona, I conceived the idea OF
taking ride down the canon on very
fine and large mule of which was the
envied owner.
The commanding officer, Major Rich
ardson-afterward major.general, who
was killed at Antietam-endeavored TO
dissuade me from my intention on the
ground that it was not safe for an officer
without an escort to go beyond the limits
of the post, as indians had been seen IN
the vicinity within few days. He even
threatened to prevent me by positive
orders; but finally on the principle,
probably, as he was fond of saying, that
be was "not bound by the army regula'
tions to furnish senscto ievety fool under
his command" was allowed to 60.
!. Il accordingly mounted "Juana," ," as my
mule was called, and with pistols in the
holsters, and sabers and spurs jingling, I'
emerged from the sally-post into the open
country. The road ran through the bot
tom Of a, deep, and narrow ravine or
canon, to where a couple of prospect
orsn were washing the bed of a creek for
gold. My object was to pay them
visit.
The name Juana is in Spanish the
feminine equivalentIof Juan, and cores
ponds to our Jane or Jean or Joan. The
reader may therefore not unreasonably
suppose that my mule was mare, but II
he or she has any such idea, q great mis-.
take will be- committed. The animal
was of the masculine gender, big chested,
strong limbed and endowed with greater
powers of endurance and force of charac-
ter than, I7haves ever seen exhibited by
| any othersof Its hybrid species. lie
had, moreover, the reputation Of being
the most self willed and obstinate mule.
in the country. When he had once
made up his mind torar certain course. OF
action sno pesshasfpns, entreaties, vitu.
perations or panishments had the slig ht-
est effect sins eaNsing him to change his,
determination. His former owner had
eiyen.biimn his name. This individual,
a good natured Mexican, had wife
named Juana, whose will was law IN the
household, and before.Wbom her husband
bowed down in abject humility. The
POOR tnans tb .;his Yattas CONSERVATION
found IBIS. .wife,s most striking qualities
duplicated in his mule, and with the,
recklessness of despair be had carried
out the comparison by giving the beast
her name.
Juana cantered leisurely down the.
road, shifting the air and tossing his head
gaily till, when we had gone about. two
miles, be suddenly gave a loud snort
pricked up his ears, and planting his fore.
feet. soiidly on the. ground, came to q
dead stop. Now when Juana stopped In
this abrupt manner 1T meant absolute
cessation of,foEvard notion. in the fullest
sense. of the expression, So. decided was
Ibis ipertia on this occasion sthat .be:sank
down on his launches, causing his back
to become a steep incline plane, while
his fore. legs, straight and rigid, stood far
out in advance of his body. He. had evil,
dently prepared himself for the struggle
with his'rider, which he seemed to think
was inevitable, but out of which ho Ger:
tainly intended to come victorious. l
patted him on the back and neck, and in
my most dulcet tones requested him to 60
on. He shook his mane and head, and
sigui6ed by his whole manner that not
even to oblige me, would he bndge a
step.
Finding that Establishments were inef-
fectual, I dug my spurs into his fanks
till my legs ached; but all was to no
purpose. There he stood as firm as q
rock. He did not rear or kick. His re-
sistauce was entirely passive, but it was
the will of an apparently unreasonable
brute against that of an apparently
reasonable man. As often happens, the
appearances were deceitful. | pulled
him round and he galloped back to the
fort as rapidly as his legs could carry
him.
The next. morning it vas 'ascertained
that at point scarcely hundred yards
in advance of where Juana had gained
his victory. some twenty ormore Apache
Indians had ambushed the road; and but
for the mules keen nose and ears and
frmness in resisting an. obstinate man,
short work would have been made Of
both Of US. ;l
After this Juana was never accused of
obstinacy. Itwas taken for granted that
whenever he declined to do anything, or
perform particular act, he had some
good reason, perfectly satisfactory to him
self, for his conduct; and he was quietly
allowed to have his own way.