The Ohio Democrat. (Logan, O. [Ohio]) 1886-1906, 1893-07-15


can beat any rattlcsnakc tween Win
the stars, an bite lake wolf, an you
can see she looks milder'n Moki
squaw. kinder TUX shine to her at
fust an sorter put conferdence in her,
an now I'm limpin' round with busted
knee; consarn her Greaser hide"
Later on Baby and her sore-bacled
companions were sent to Sante Fe,
under the charge of Corporal Jack
Doyle and four men; but somehow
Baby got lost on the road, and though
a stout affidavit took her off the quar-
termaster's accounts all right, public
opinion in the cavalry quarters at Win
gate limited that Corporal Jack had
traded her to Greaser in Las Lunas
for whisky and other commodities.
When the troops at Wingate were
orderedinto the field in Texas to CO.
operate with Miles in the Panhandle,
we camped en- route at water hole on
the trail not far from the Tucumcari
| mountain beyond Fort Bascom, where
| some Mexican carretas were corralled.
| The Mexican stock was herded not far
| from ours, and as l was on herd guard
that day, kept moving between the
two cavalcades. When at sundown the
orderly trumpeter blew the recall for the
herd, saw a mule dash away from the
Mexicans and come squealing and charg-
ing into our camp. 1t was Baby, and
doubts as to her identity We're quickly
dissipated by the way she appropriated
the lions share of the feed grain of the
pack train to herself, and the vigorous
manner in which she beat tattoo on
the ribs of big shave.tail Missouri
mule that was foolish enough to dis
pute her rights. She was formally
identified and gravely ella imed by Jack
| Doyle as the mule stolen from him in
Las Lunas, and, as her Mexican owner
left camp hastily that night it was
only right to suppose that he had stolen
Baby from the person who had bought
her from Jack.
Baby resumed her irritating and
vicious career just where she left it off
when she left the army at Las Lunas,
and before we We're well off the stal1ed
plains and into the grassy valleys of
the panhandle she had earned the
hatred of every packer in the train.
When her pack had been carefully adj
justed to her aparejo, she had knack
of rolling on the prairie and wrecking
the whole fabric, driving her packer
into paroSysms of profanity; she had a
social way of visiting round camp at
night, when she ought to have been
hitched to her picket line, keeping her
packer awake from his rest and soaring
the wits out of sentries with her heels,
when they attempted to secure her.
She was always in trouble; everybody
dubbed her as freely as she kicked all
men and mules; hex grain was stinted,
but she grew fat; her pack was over
loaded, but she simply rolled it into
| wreclage, driving her masters insane;
and she lived and thrived, feared by
her kindred, detested by man. She
was transferred eXperimentally from
the pack train tc Tim Daily's six-mule
team, as matter of discipline, for Tim
was known as a. mule tanner, and rs the
one teamster who could work and fog
anything on four legs into obedience
But the baby was unconquerable; and
after she had chewed his harness into
pulp, had eaten the hair off the names
and tails of her companions in the
team, and had broken one of Tins
ribs, Mr.. Daily returned her to the
pack train in disgust. Then Slim Jim
Billings took her in hand and tried her
under the saddle; but with her the I'M
expected was always happening, and,
as Jim had only one neck, he sent back
the uncertain Baby to her aparejo and
pack.
became closely associated with Baby
in camp we made in a lovely spot in
the grassy bottom of the Palo Duro,
after a hard, hot ride over the plains.
1t was my ill-luck to be detailed FOR
guard, a duty which kept me many
hours in the saddle, guarding our graz
ing herd. The animals were tired and
hungry, and content to crop the rich
green grass over a small area. But not
so Baby. She hungered for the brown
withered, juiceless grasses of the hills
ard kept edging off there, followed by
all the fool mules in the herd, who re
garded Baby as a miracle of wisdom
and wickcdness. 1t was annoying ant
irritating, for was kept on the move
driving her bacls, and my own horse
was tired and hungry. / made up my
mind to give her a lesson and sur
prise, and approached her cautiously
swinging my lariat with an iron pickle
pin on the end of it. / intended t.
break her ribs with that contrivance
and she apparently did not observe my
approach. That's where made mis-
take. A mule can see in seventy differ
ext directions at once, and l am con
vinced that Argus was mule. BABY
knew l was coming and was laying fo
ME, so to speak. When l was within
striking distance Baby appeared t.
staNl on the tips of her ears, her hint
legs tanned the air for brief momen
and ti,nn shot out straight, striking IN,
booted leg like combined thunderbol
and meat AK, giving me shock tha
made me faint and sick at the stomach
Then she squesled gently and move,
into the thick o. the herd.
rocked IN tn. saddle nursing my leg
filling the vale! with language, ant
then in an agoay of pain rolled iron
the back of my 1orse to the grass
while Tom Mulhali roared till the tear
rolled down his fao. watching me.
5 thought my leg Was smashed, for tn
3 sharp hoof had cut through bootleg
l trousers, socks, and anderclothing int
the bone. was lame tor month, an,
, the many clubbings gSve her seeme'
tn affect Rahv very 1itkle and did M