Waterbury evening Democrat., 1893-03-20

&3N -.zz-zsszlN.R HEN Ahab was
 -ss -1sSs!.s9S.AE zSc.AE Jaw bones was, Inc sat down i'll the shade of that in scrutah|e mule and scratched his head.
 'Nrll, suh, now yoze sholy got me. fo, m ght as well ast me de egzacl< age ar Cn'I NoAh's ark. Nobody don't know how old dat ar mule is, lessn he know hisSClf. Jaw bones knows mos nigh bout cvert'ing-dat he do. But he won't always tell. l reckon though he suttinly cant be much less'n hun dred year 0ld."
 Then Ahab, having rested, got up, placed himself between the blow handles, and tried to induce Jaw bones to pull, But the old mule merely nioilcd one ear and remained sta tionary.
 "'rnin't no usc," said Ahab, begin ming to undo the hamestrings.
 "Why don't you whip him up?" asked u stranger, who was leaning over the roadside fence in an indolently curious way.
 "Dcre now," returned the old negro in reproachful accents, "he heerd yo, Jawbonc3 did. Look at him shake his haid, Don't yo' never git near his hind laigS. lo' done suited dat ar mule, nd he know it, too."
 Seeing that the stranger looked sccptical, Ahab explained further as he removed the gears:
 'Me nd my old woman, we nat'ally 'pcndS on Jawbones bout same as if he could talk. When he proves of anyt'ing or anybody, we knows hits III riTrht J1t Ix,hnT 1ca lowe l,ic back nd shakes dat haid CT s'n-so, we knows dat sich CT move CT sich CT pusson p'intcdly won't do at all. We'ze ben a goin' on Juwbones' jedgment fer nigh on ten year CT more, nd he ain't never fooled uS vet"
 l l., II .Nhab mounted. Jaw bones, feel ing that himself and the blow were sc!,:r,.. I, slowly waggcd his way do"n thr willing cornrows toward the st2h'H 1t was pretty near noon, and q" tE.' s"1 shone hotly the old mules "jr) 'n.rnt" was not so far amiss
 Nc: l""y after this a man rode up to Ahah's cabin, dismounted, and was making his way to the door, when Jawboncs, who had been dozing under a china tree, rushed at the intruder with his ears folded back and two rows of worn and yellow teeth lavishly exposed. The man promptly jumped the fence.
 'IIcllo! inside there!" he called from the safe side of the rails.
 Aunt Kindly, Ahabs wife, came to the door and at once took note of the mules hostile demonstration.
 ''Gway fom yere, white mani" she exclaimed. "Don't yo' see Jawbones gittiu' dangersome?"
 "Whcre is your husband?" demanded the man. II want to sec him at once l don't see what you want to let such beast run around loose for. anyhow"
 Aunt Rindy placed her fat arms akimGo.
 Look n yere, suhY' she retorted, my ole man ain't a-wantin' to see you; nceGcr is Jaw bones De sooner yo' git away Ie better"
 she was about to slam the door when th>' man spoke again:
 "Eut, see here! 1 have business with yUur old man. It will be money in his pocket to see me. Take that blamed animal out of the yard and I'll come in and wait, or leave instructions if he isn't here"
 "Yo' don't git ter leave nary 'struc- tions ner nuttin' else. Eff yo' ain't on dat hoss's back nd packin' sand in less'n two minutes I'll pull down de draw-bars md turn Jawbones loose in de road. Look at him raarv'
 Jawb bones seemed to be trying to climb the fence in his anxiety to as sault the stranger, who hastily re- mounted and rode away, swearing, not loud, but deep. The following day Aunt Rindy learned that the man was Il railroad contractor after tie timber, and that Ahab had lost a fat contract, W which, probably in consequence of Jawbones' behavior, was given to an- other man.
 Never mind" said she, de chances is we wouldn't git no pay out'n dat fel- Ter. Desc yere railroaders is master slippery people anyhow. Jawbones don't take sich set agin anyone fer nuttin', tell yo'."
 Aha b looked dubious, but said noth- ing. His confidence in the judgment of Jaw bones was again shaken q few weeks later, when the new preacher came to make his first pastoral visit. Jawbones, grazing in the fcnce-corners. hS SoOhCA Sb" ILllS reverend parsonage approaching than he uttered a vindic- tive bray and started in full pursuit. The preacher fled, but as he was on foot the mule gained rapidly. The next thing the former knew, about half his best coat and a goodly portion of shirt were torn from his struggling anatomy, and he flew down the ''big road" fit spectacle for his congrcgn- tion to weep over or for the vain world to irreverently laugh at.
 II 'clur ter grashus," said Ahab, who from his own door had helplessly wit messed this ludicrous assault, If I gwine ter stand much mo- CT dish we're foolishness. Jawbones must be fer gettin' hisself in his ole age. Br'er Stomper never will git over such doin's."
 It did begin to seem that as the mule grew older his crustiness increased, until he was as particular about those upon whom he obtruded his friendship as though he was a crack thoroughbred instead of battered elderly mule. But Ahab and Kindly did not vet entirely