The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1891-08-30

Then he quickly fastened the rope in
place.
when the mule regained it1 senses it
slowly stood up. The deacon cut the cord
that had held the weight close to the pole,
aud the rope whizzed through the pulley
un:il the downward course OF the weight
was stopped by the greater weight of the
mule and strength of its tail. There it
| dangled just within kicking reach. The
mule, feeling the great tug at its tail, uatu-
rally let fly With both feet, striking the
weight fair and square. lie swung back
toward the wagon, and then touched the
mules headquarters. AS it swung back to-
ward the wagon again the mule once more
| planted both heels on it. This time it struck
the mule with force enough to drive him
ahead two feet.
The mule now began to kick in earnest
and the weight to swing with about the
rapldity OF the piston rod of a locomotive.
Deacon Tidd aud his assistant sat in the
back part of the wagon out of the way of
all danger, and feeling pretty secure, be-
cause they knew that the mule, whatever
happened, would stick to the roun1 road.
| The weight was now urging the poor
animal ahead ten feet at every stroke, and
| the pole was bending and creaking under
the strain put upon it. 'Golly' said the
for this here experiment, because L
wouldn't like ter have none or the members
er my family see me in this redikerlas posi-
ton
The mule was now being propelled at a
tremendous speed by the weight which was
making at least twenty-five strokes to the
minute and sending the mule twenty feet
| at each stroke. Being unable to under
stand the mysterious propelling power
which was propelling itsslf so forcibly, the
agonized animal now began to run and
kick, too In twenty minutes the Tidd
| homestead came in sight. the circle of the
round road having been made.
Here the deacon discovered his only mis-
take. He had fastened the mule to the
weight and the weight to the pole by
means of the pulley dangling overhead,
through which the rope ran, and the pole to
the wagon, but had neglected to fix any
| continuance by which he could, from his
seat in the wagon, effect a separation, and
thus let the mule go on alone and the wagon
slow up.
The speed on the second trip around was
terrifying. Deacon Tidd's hair few out
straight behind. His assistant had jumped
for hay stack, which he struck with such
force that he was buried up to his neck.
| The deacon saw his head sticking out and
| concluded that he would cling to the
wagon.
Mrs. Tidd and the children, hearing
peculiar, rushing sound every few moments,
aud missing the deacon, at length came to
| the door. Thrice they saw the form
following twenty feet in the
wake of a something with glaring eyes and
blazing nostrils. ana apparently a hundred
hee.s playing out in the direction of their
husband and father. After this they only
heard the rushing sound, aud saw a cloud
of dust appear and disappear at fifteen
minute intervals. They brought out the
Ta Ft1flxr Rih1a and IN rho dnrrsfav,
earnestly that the deacon might escape
from the horrible being that had him in
tow.
Just as the gray of the morning came
the dust cloud began TO appear less fire.
quently, and soon thereafter the form of
the deacon could again be made out. As
daylight broke the deacon's family recog-
nized the strange object which was carry
ing him over his mail route at such a ire
mendous speed, or rather what was left of
it, for now the weight was hammering
away at the hind quarters of the mule
alone, the front portion of his body, never
having been SO much toughened by exer-
| Csc, having worn out aud dropped off
somewhere about the fiftieth trip around.
| Finally, just as the deacon was in front of
his own door, the mules tail parted, its
| hind legs ran of down the road. and the
| wagon, with the deacon, came 10 a stop half
a mile further on.
After having In this heartless manner
caused the death of en- innocent creature,
the deacon walked slowly back to his house
and Immediately assembled his family for
prayers to give up thanks for his wonderful
escape"
| On reading this tale in the Tf-uthtelIer
the old editor dropped dead, and in an hour
after the edition made its appearance the
| inhabitants of Sleepytown called on the
new editor with their verdict, which was
that. although he deserved hanging for
violating all the traditions OF the town and
the Weekly Truthteller if he would promise
never to return, they would merely see him
| out Of town on the uncomfortable vehicle
| before mentioned