The progressive farmer. [volume] (Winston, N.C.) 1886-1904, 1888-11-20

had little fear of aught but the white
biped-the self-righteous representative
of our own civilized race. We wanted
isolation from our so called protectors
our numerous fathers, brothers and uncles
and suitors who held the governmental
reins, and proclaimed us in line with cats,
pigs, and such unclean things, except for
taxation, gallows and prison purposes.
We wanted isolation from u protectors
who first made us defenseless, thus invit-
ing outrage upon us, and then held US re-
sponsible for the same. We were no
more born in the kitchen than were our
protectors, and we could not fasten our
| thoughts nor our fingers to what wasn't
our forte. We were at wal with man
monopoly. We believed that %opportuni-
ties should serve the fttest, regardless of
the cut of the applicants garments; and
that this again, should be at the wearer's
own option And thus, full of rebellion,
we went a roaming where Adam was
scarce.
Time had worn on, and there we were
camped in the cool shade of a Texas grove
in the month of June. We had two one
span mule teams, a frisky dog, a mess-box
| at the back end of the ca~nvas-covered
wagons, provisions, weapons, and the
more useful than ornamental parapher-
MALTA of that style of travel. And we had
put over 1000 miles behing us; 1000 of
them within the line of the State. We
had met with much unexpected and more
or less exciting experience, and we had
studied mule character, and the result was
not discreditable to the animal despised
and abused more than any other, perhaps
because he is least deserving of such
treatment.
Our animals had not only dragged us
all the way up and down steep mountain
sides, over sandy and rocky wastes,
through gulches and over rivers, but they
had been our guardsmen on the move, as
in camp. They did our seeing, our hear
ing, our surmising. They smelt the in
visible and silent lurking enemies. We
could read their every look, catch the
meaning of the poise of their long ears.
They need no deception, and could they
have talked they couldn't have expressed
their opinions more clearly than they did.
They told us of dangers, their direction
and extent. We lay almost under their
feet at night, and slept to the music of
their jaws, as they ate such feed as we
could get for them. When the short
ropes jerked the spokes of the wheels, the
feet stamped and low snorts were uttered.
We were on the alert at once to know if
the intruders were coyotes or enemies
more formidable. Thus they enabled us
to prepare for approaching foes, human or
animal. Sometimes these alarms were
more or less false-the enemies not Sc
riously so. Prowling beasts would bring
us in an instant from sound sleep to our
posts between the mules heads. We're
our four-footed friends alarmed while
doing, we had more difficulty in quieting
them, and to quiet them was the main
thing to be done. Without them we were
indeed lost.
Yet, with all our dangers and hardships,
we enjoyed our journey thoroughly. The
life fascinated us. Crossing New Mexico
we had passed through Mexican towns
and gone by ranches along the banks of
the Rio Grande. We had approached
none of these, however, without a feeling
of displeasure. And their ubiquitous
sneak thief burro would invariably slip in
between our mules unseen and eat up
their feed from them. The mules &C
copied him as a privileged character, and
he made the best use possible of the
benefit.
These adobe towns and ranches were
suggestive of h~obgoblins. The houses, to
fancy, were airless and roomless cages
and signifed only Imprisonment and
helplessness. We pitied all who would
live in houses there or anywhere else.
We pitied all people who were not travel
ing by mule team and in daily danger of
being tomahawked and scalped and their
bones left to bleach on the burning sands
after being picked and scattered by car
nivorous beasts. Perhaps this is madness,
ling msil-carriers of the unsettled parts
we crossed. whose lives were not worth
while their changing their shirts, in the
seventies, will understand me. They can
sympathize with others who have courted
death persistently and unnecessarily
through a power that is uncomfortable.
At last we were camped in fairyland,
but fairyland we Dor learned had its
drawbacks. We were nomadic frontiers
women, and, though the groves with their
emerald clearings thrilled us with pleasure
as we prepared to halt, we knew that our
camp was better fitted for transfer to
anvas than as a comfort. We didn't like
the idea of having our view obstructed.
The trees. wen the majestic pecans, were
objects of suspicion. Foes without shape
lurked in their ambush and among their
underbrush. We didn't want to be sur
prised, even though off the Comanches'
hunting-grounds. And 80 we were un-
easy and anxious to move on.
"Wooha, Dicki" rang again through
the wood. Our complaints ended sud-
denly. Buffer began q dutiful barking,