Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1896-11-17
jim ANDWENCH SOLD.
UNCLE SANS TRANSFERS MATED TO
see THE FAITHFUL PAIR GO.

Il
- ys.. 9hcy HAD Bses Tosesscr 4. ~
sesvsss % shs 0ssssnmens.
AT 1871 At i5i Going st rs! Who
says ths half: Do I hear IL? Only els
for this mule; Why. gentlemen. she's
worth moce'n tina; IL she never did an
other lick o. work. Whoa. wench, you
little old darling! Fifteen dollars am
offered! Can't I set the hahs Fifteen
once. Do hear the half? No, Fifteen
twice! Third and last call and sold to
Mr.. Carl Cor el5." And the auc:ioneer,
who was also the civilian clerk in the
post quarternaster's cfficc. tendesly ca
ressed the face. gray with nge. Of the
little brown mule, and, brushing his
hand across his own eyes, walked slowly
back TO his desk in the Office.
Wench was led OF TO the blacksmith
chop TO DO branded on the left Of tho
Eeck, II c. S. ''-''inspcctcd. condemn
cd. sold" Twelve other mules had
passed. under the hammer ahead Of her
that morning and then TO the branding
iron. Tho last enc before her was Jim,
whose neck was still smoking with the
burning mark of condemnation. He had
gone FOR $3.50.
Two years ago the quartermnstcr had
picked ont wench and Jim TO submit 20
the insrector for condemnation, but one
ct time the teams:crs had all como 90
plead for their retention. and he had
yielded to their entreaties. Last year
again he had marked them for the list,
but again gave way 10 the teamsters.
But this time the chief quartcrmastcr
stepped in with his authority. and, re-
marking that there was no place In the
quartermaster's department for senti-
ment, ordered Wench and Jim to be
condemned and sold.
For moro than q score Of years these
two little beasts have faithfully served
the government. and all this time they
have been mates. In the pack train they
logged along together; I'm the wagon
train they pulled over the same spreader ;
in the camp they ate ont of the same
feed box; in the stable they stood in the
same stall; in the corral they were al
ways fond side by side. Tonight. for
the FIRST time in this quarter century,
they will be apart, for Jim was bought
J by Mr.. Hammond, and Nench was
knocked down to Mr.. Carl, and Uncle
Sans exchequer is richer by $50. SO.
No place for sentiment in the quar-.
termnster's department! OF course not.
yet "breathes there the man with soul
so dead" that he docs not believe these
two little dumb creatures will miss each
other this night and many night?
Ac la 10 ba
stood ON one side like mourners ut q
comrades burial; ON the other, the
farmers and rancbmen and contractors
and lumbermen from go miles around,
} all there to bid in as cheap rs possible
the mules the quartermaster' depart.
, ment was done with. Against the name
: Of each mule on the list stood the legend.
: "Old and worn out in service"
There were old Rooney and Bevis md
Boss and Schaeffcr and the rest Of the
, tearisters who have driven and packed
these mules over thousands Of miles OF
mountain and prairie. Are they to b
laughed mt for wearing sad faces now
, Yet they bore the ordeal like men good
and true until Jim was led out. Then
; | you could see their sleeves, one aftel
another, drawn across their eyes.
: "This here's awful, boys" old Rooney
: remarked. 81 can't stand il. I'd ratheI
, see the COVER 'ment bust than see then
two mules sold"
You're right, Rooney" old Bevil
spoke. "A cover 'ment mean enough Il
j. sell them two mules amt Git to stand. y
u But their comments wero stopped by thu
!, auctioneer's third and last call on poo
little Jim.
. After the sale was over a farmer
: wearing a canvas overcoat that he hat
bought at a previous sale Of condemned
y stuff and that bore in the middle of thu
back the big black letters, IL c.
stepped up to the transfers and asket
. why they hated SO much to see the las
, two mules sold.
"Why?" asked old Schaeffer, half an
cry, tossing the moisture OF his wrin
J kled check. because they'r the hes
friends we ever had. Them two mule
. was back with tho pack train tho da,
3 Custer and his men was wiped out. The,
+ toted packs during all the 1870 ans
1877 campaigns gin tho Indians
They're the best pair of leaders tina
o was ever in this corral. Thcy can driv
the'selves. and in their young days
whenever there was a fight or skoer,
!. place to 60 through or hard pull L
!. make, they was the first ones called for
!. They Helped haul the Seventh from her
= to Riley, and the Eighth from there ri
/, here. There's never been campaign o
!, a march from this post that them mule
), amt gone On il. And they've neve
= been separated till today. an burned
= / b'lieve they'll work a lick by the
!, selves. Do you, Bevis?'
n Il sho' hope they WON'T" this oil
. fellow answered bitterly. And the
!. walked away to the tcamsters' mess
. 1 New Yorl Herald