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

Doctor William A. Hammond, in ar
article on "Tbe VIII aud its Derapge
ment," printed in the Youtht C9mpanion
tells the good story: One afternoon some
thirty yea!s ago, while stationed at For:
Webster, near The Rio Gila, 10 what is
| now Arizona, conceived the idea oi
taking :ide down the canon on a very
| fine and large mule OF which ! Was the
envied owner.
The commanding oGcer. Major Rich
ardson-af.erw4rd ma or general, who
was killed al Autietam -enIeasofed TO
di7-uate ne from niy Intention on the
ground that il was m. safe fDr 40 officer
without al e=cor. 10 20 teyDnd the limits
Of the poet. {, iadiaEs had been seen IN
tue vicinity within a fen days. lie even
threatened TO preyen: me by po.i,ive
orders; bu. finally on the principle,
probably, as be was fVni OF saying, that
be was mot bound o. the army rcgu!a.
tions to furnish sen.c 70 eTey fool under
his command was allowed to GO
accordingly mounted ''Jaaua," as my
mule was called, and with pistols in the
holsters, and saber. and spur4 jingling. I
emerged from the sally pos. into the open
country. The read ran through the bot.
tom of deep and narrow raSine or
canon. to where q couple OF prospect
ors" were washing the bed Of creek for
gold. Ny objec, was to pay them
yi.it
The name Juana is ia Spani4h the
feminine equiva!en. Of Juan, and CORES
ponds 10 our Jane or Jean or Joan. The
reader may therefore no: unrea.onabiy
suppose the. my mule was 4 mare, bu. If
he OF she has any such idea, grea, mis-.
take will be Committed. The animal
was Of the ma.cu!ite gender, big che.,ed,
strong iimbed aud endowed With greater
powers Of endurance and force Of charac.
ter than | hare ever seen exhibited by
any other OF its hybrid species. He
had, moreover, .hc reputation 0! being
the MOS. self wi.lcd and obstinate mule
IN the county. When he Lsd once
made up his miad " q ,cer,aip cDusAe OF
action no pcfsaa,ions, cn,fea;ie-, vi;u.
pera!ion. or puni:hn.cnts had the slight
est effect in Cabling him 70 change lis
determination. !!i- former cwner al
given Nim his name. This individual,
guod na.ured Mexican, had wife
named Juana, whose will Hai law IN tie
household, and before wh HON her husband
bowed down in atject humility. Tie
poor naD 10 his yutuT consernatinn
found bis wues moet n.Iiking qualities
duplicated III his mule, and with the
rccklessness Of despair he had carried
ou' the comparison by giving the beast
her name.
Juana cantered leisurcly down the
road, smiling the air and tossing his head
gaiiy till, when we had gone about two
miles, he suddenly gave loud snort,
Pricked up his ears. and planting his fore.
Ieet solidly on the ground came to @
dead stop. Tow when Juana stopped in
this abrupt manner it meant absolute
cessation of Toward motion in the fullest
sense Of the expression. So decided wss
his Inertia ON this occasion, that be sank
down On his haunches, causing lis back
to become q stec .ucline plnac, while
his fore legs, straisu and rigid, stood far
out in advance of his body. He had ev;-
dentiy prepared himself for the struggle
with his rider, which he seered 10 think
was inevitable, but out of which he Ger.
tainly intended TO come victorious. /
pattcd him on the back and neck, and in
my most duicet tones requested him 10 20
on. lie shook his name and head, and
slgnified by his whole manner that not
even TO "Hlige me, would he bndge
step.
Finding that Establishments were ioef-
fectual, l dug my spurs into his flanks
till my legs ached; but all was to no
purpose. There he stood as firm as a
rock. He did no: rear or kick. His re-
sistance was entirely passive, but it was
the will of an apparently unreasonable
brute against that of an apparently
reasonable man. As Otter happens, the
appearances were dcceitful. / pulled
him round and he galloped back 10 the
for. as rapidly as his legs could carry
him.
Tho nazS morning Il vas asce.;ainel
that 9; e point scarcely hundred yards
in advance Of where Juana had gained
his victory. some twenty or more Apache
Indians had ambushcd the road and but
for the mules keen nose and ears and
firmness in resisting az obstinate man,
short work would have been made OF
both Of us.
Aftsr this Juana was never accused of
obstinacy. It was taken for granted that
whenever he declined to do anything, or
perform particular act, he had some
good reason, perfectly satisfactory to him
sell, for his conduct; and he was Quietly
allowed TO have his ogn way.