Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1891-07-30
HUNTING WITH A MULE.
Not Eager for the Chase, but When He Got
Started He Was a Slayer

a
A Chicago young man who has made
good deal of money on the board of
trade without being known as a regular
member, used to go down into Arkansas
every fall for a few weeks hunting.
He had quite a circle of friends among
the people in the Ozark country, and
whatever they could do for his enter
taltinent was done with promptness
and freedom that made the gift doubly
welcome They We're great fellows to
hunt foxes, and chose clear moonlight
nights for this choicest of sports He
had gone with them on a good many
chases, but had never yet followed the
hounds after night, and expressed a
wish to do so.
The family with which he had been
stopping had a good horse that had
given him an excellent mount on the
daylight runs, but it was so spirited that
he did not care to ride it on a night chase.
So a neighbor offered to exchange with
him, giving Il mule instead. All the young
men in the country told him the mule
was famous hunter, and that it would
follow the hounds through fire and wa
ter, and that all he had to do was to
hang on. But on the evening of the
of the wood he concluded that the mule
affair was their way of playing a joke
on the city young man.
That mule stood there by the fence
with its head down, his halter loose,
and nothing to keep him from running
away in the excitement of that time of
preparation" says Mr. Winde. 81
thought it was a joke, but got down
he tal i.
to mount the mule, thinking if they
wanted little fun with me they might
have it; they had earned it.
Now, you can ride, can you?' asked
the mules owner.
Well, guess can ride that mule,
/ answered.
When he gets ready to run, don't
you try to hold him-just let him 60
and hang on.
81 said. all right and got up on the
beast, and he never stirred q muscle
There were about twenty of us, and
there must have been hundred hounds
Some of them were old fellows and
knew their business, and some were
Younger, and some of them were just
taking their first lesson in hunting We
started off after bit, the mule i'll the
rear. and me kicking him with my heels
and crying to get him to be respectable,
and failing constantly. The first mile
or two was awful work. l wore myself
out betting and humping that mule, but
he wouldn't go faster than lazy trot.
Ard that trOt. 1t loOsened every joint
in M body. It made me bite my tongue,
ard = bruised me quickly | had no
time 20 blister.
'P-csently one of the young dogs
struck an old scent, and in his inexperi-
ence began to bay hopefully. Still the
2.,ulc stumbled on. Then better dog
thought he snellcd something promis
ing, and he started an alarm which
all the younger ones swelled al
once to that plaintive, beseach-
ing roar of foxhounds while rang
ing. Not Il sign from the mule. But
all of a sudden there was that eager.
short, agonized yclp of the old hounds
as they pulled away from the pack and
cut out the pace on a perfectly fresh
trail. And # that old mule didn't know
what was the matter hope to die. He
unlimbered himself and picked up first
one and then the other of those awfully
long ears; he changed his lrot to 4 gal
lop. and pushed right up through the
band OF weil-mounted hunters, going
straight to the front and just simply
stabGiGg the earth with his little hoof:
in an effort to overtake the hounds.
"'ncrl't try to hold him-just hang
on cried my friend, as l shot past him
and | gave myself up to that task a:
well as | could, for he had me pretty
well frightened. On he went through
more on one side and rock on the 9th
er, crashing into and over heap o
brush or the top of fallen tree, piung
into wide creeks and ieaping over mar
row ones till l thought my end wa
come But / couldn't let go. Ny
only hope was that he would let up af
ter awhile and give me n chance to gre
away. Onc-half of my shoe was riPpc,
FROM NV foot, and the half of my Goa
had gone to keepit company My hand
and face were scratched and bleeding
but led the chase, and led it easily.
FINALLY we came to a high rail fenc,
ten rails Highland l said to myself
Now | have got him But l hadn't
lie just kept on galloping right at tina
fence. but he seemed to be studying it
ard feeling the bits as if they didn't Sc
lust right. / pulled away harder thai
ever. for felt if he undertook to iuml
that fence he would kill himself and me
too. But he didn't try to go over it; h
Just went through it He went right a
il with a rush, threw his forelegs higl
enough to get them over the top-an
that settled the fence. Down 1T cam
mule. man and all--and he clambere
out and went on without losing a min
ute.
THAT was cottonfield. 1t was ram
and tall, and the bolls whipped me Il
the face. and the strong stalks graspe'
nv clothes and tore them, but
couldn't get away. and just sawed Il
the bits and prayed for dead wall o
a pitfau or n stroke of lightning. On
on the further side of the field tn
fence was down and we went out al
right There was the creek. and tn
hounds were just creeping up the fun
Their bank 1t was high and steep.
thought this would end it, bIrv
didn't That mule went at it frantic
aliy. He leaped from the high ban
as if lie was sort of winged steed an
landed right in the middle of tn
water. But he didn't waste a minute
He clambered up the further bank an
shot away again after them-and tn
nearest horsemen were twenty rod