The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1894-07-01

hyre, boss. I'll tote far. I'll bet yuh
dat ar mule don't git you home by II
cIaWk, town time"
| "Whut yuh wanter bet?" said Uncle
Dick, quickly.
''Fll done bet err watermillion," re-
| piled Oscar, tasting it meanwhile in
Imagination.
Look hyere, boy said Uncle Dick,
twisting around in his seat in order to
get better view of the reckless youth,
I Hit ain nigh II clawk yit, an l done
| got on'y dis err ill piece tub go. Yo's
young en- foolish. 1 done gwine ter let
yuh off'n dis yer bet efn you watts tub
| be let off-sho nuff'
fNuh," returned Oscar, shaking his
| head. and rolling his eyes around the
small crowd, II don wanter be let off
I'll take de chances, des same, efn I
f; is young and handsome a wink
at a pretty yellow girl just passing.
Hits watermilloins den,'' said Uncle
Dick. 81 hate nightly dis yer bettin'
business. l sho dus-fuh fac But efn
yo's blooded tub bet, des same l ain
gwine tub let no watermillion go ter
loss, let erlone ter git tub any er dem
lrapscallums dar. An I'm gwine teach
y'all or lesson. Yo' heered me-" And
the old negro whipped up the mule,
which started into a jog; while Oscar,
hands in pockets, sauntered after the
cart, followed by the chuckling crowd.
"Boun' fun tub keep 'em in sight,
said Oscar, 'kase pyears tub me, dis
yers bettin' on er sho' ting
Now in this town, there were two
kinds of time, one called railroad" or
whistle time" the other "town time"
and the difference between them was a
half hour So when it was IL O'Clock
by whistle time, it was 11;3O by the
town clock.
The mule in question had been ac-
customed from his earliest working
days to haul loads of various descrfp-
tons, and of late had hauled dirt up
on the railroad extension. Each day
when the whistle had blown and all the
worlmen ceased from their labors, a
canvass bucket had been placed before
his nose, whereupon he had eaten his
dinner.
And now because he had outlived his
usefulness in these lines, and had been
sold at fabulously low price to a town
dealer, the mule saw no just reason
why he should change his daily habits
He still hauled dirt, after a fashion,
so he still halted at whistle time, and
expected his food. whether he received
it or not.
Uncle Dick, all unconscious-all ignor-
ant-of the past history and peculiar
habits of his new purchase, drove slow
ly on, and had gone but the length of
two squares when the whistle at the
railroad shops blew loud and shrill.
Instantly the gray mule stopped and
looked anxiously about
Cup thar said Uncle Dick, me-
chemically. But there was no move
ment on the part of the animal
cup 1 tell yum
Still the mule moved not muscle,
save the little tassle of a tail, which
whisked nervously from side to side.
Cup" shouted the old man, in his
Ioudest tones, cracking his whip, and
casting an anxious look behind.
Look hyere!' he demonstrated with
the animal, ''yuh CANT fool wifi me-"
And he threw his whip like a. lasso
around the animals legs, causing it to
jump violently and rattle the chains
and harness; but still it moved not an
inch forward.
.'Yo' min out yuh low down mulev'
muttered the now irate driver jump
ing to his feet and gathering the reins
in one hand, preparatory to a master
stroke. II ain gwine tub put up wifi
none O. yo' dev'ment," and the whip
was brought down with tremendous
force, but with no satisfactory results
At this juncture, Oscar slowly APP
preached upon the scene, followed at
d ItSpcCtdUiC uioldiiCC ny LIE ltile ana
interested throng.
"'Taint nigh u clawk, town time,
yit,'' said Uncle Dick.
Law no! Twenty-fi' minutes yit,"
returned Oscar, in a reassuring tone,
then adding: "All same, yuh'd battah
onhitch an tie yuh mule tub dat ar
tree, kase yuh done CANT git i'm no
fudder now dat whistle done blowed. ;"
A loud laugh and jeers went up from
the multitude.