Clinch Valley news. [volume] (Jeffersonville, Va.) 18??-2019, 1889-07-19
thousand yards ahead, a commotion

thousand yards ahead, commotion
among the wagons.
IN their narration something is to be
allowed for the exaggerated form of OK
preston in vogue on the plains in that
day, and which is even yet not wholly
extinct 1t is certain that the mnlc went
very fast, and in the race to the train
badly beat the two good horses which
had long start.
The pursuing Indians never got nearer
the mule than when he started, and were
quickly left far behind They were not
numerous enough TO attack the train, and
stopped well out Of rifle range. Those
who watched from the wagons said that
the redskins had followed Frank but n
short distance, when they stopped and
sat motionless in amaZcmcnt, Watching
his mules performance. They gathered
i'll circle and remained long time pow
wowing over the prodigy which had
manifcstly impressed them us "big medi-
cine"
Frank tried to rein in his mule
near the wagons, but could not. Fear
ing, he aftcrward said, that the mule in
tended to keep straight on to Salt Lake
City, and meant to get there that night,
he, rs last resort, pulled him into one
of the teams "hcad on" and Birthstone
came TO II full stop in tanglc of
mules.
Frank kept on Il dozen or fifteen yards
farther, sailing, like frog to water, over
the wagon mules and describing n para
bola which met the prairie with thump,
ricochet and roll. He got up, shook
himself, reached behind to make sure his
revolver had not been thrown out, and
walked back To his mule IA coolly rs if
that were his ordinary way Of dismount-
ing.
When Birthstone was finally cxtricatcd,
the insprin. cause of his Jealous run was
fully revealed. Sticking from his hind
quarters was the long shaft and feathers
Of an arrow, the head of which was i'm
bcddcd some three inches in the flesh.
have to say that the mule got no SYM
pathy; on the contrary, his plight was
looked on by all hands with nconccalcd
satisfaction Ills past conduct had not
cndearcd him to the ''outtit"
The question of getting out the arrow
head WAS not easily met. For, while there
were plenty of advisers in the matter,
there WAS no one so little in love with life
rs to oller To operate surgically in the vi
cinity of those lightsomc heels The
operation was Il heroic one, Us the blood
had soitcnc,l and looscncd the deer sincw
that fastened the shaft to the barbcd arrow
heal so that they came apart at the first
pull, leaving the latter in The wound.
However. as it needed to he done. Pete
Ouray AMI Frank set to work with cy-
IRENE care, their instruments consisting
of sharp knife and Il pair Of pincers.
TO the establishment of all, Birthstone re-
manned as quiet as Il lamb. \ cut was
made, wide and deep enough to allow the
arrow head 10 be- caught with the pinccrs
and pulled out The nulc WINGED under
the steel but did not kick
The wound soon hcalcd-thcrc was, in
fact, no loss Of Brimstonc's valuable ser
vices. lie was rather sensitive to ap-
preach for II time, hut remarkable effect
of the wound appeared in his dispositions
Strange Ia say, this effect was favorable
one. From that date on he WAS a differ
cnt and better mule. Ii is not to he
wondered nj three inches of arrow in his
h'unch should have wrought painfully on
his feelings, and for time reversed his
usual habit OF thought; hut the crafty
ing fact remained that the change was
marked and permanent. - Youth's Com