Custer weekly chronicle. [volume] (Custer City, S.D.) 1890-1931, 1896-12-19
Concluded next week.
BILL LET CO OF THE MULES EAR.
hut Not Until He'd Added a Chapter to
the History OF the war.

In the rotunda of ,he Auditorium no.
&c! recently several veterans of the war
Of the rebellion were seated around in a
circle telling of some of their wal expe-
riences. Oae Of them related the fol-
lowing incident:
Our regiment was in camp at Har.
per's Ferry. and one bright morning a
comrade and | secured permission to
visit "A farm house some distance away,
where W knew there was some poul.
try. We rode horses aud had some
nioucy 10 pockets 10 purchase the
chickens and turkeys we desired, for
on this occasion we had made up orr
minds to forego foraging but later cir.
cumstances arose that made it neces-
sary for us to forget our good re-olu.
tions. Turning our horses into a grass
field which was but a short distance
flom the house we left them to Craze al
will. On reaching the house we met
the farmer on an oid-fasnioned porch
that ran the whole front of the quaint
farmhouse. told the farmer that we
had come to bus some OF his poultry,
at which his southern blood began to
boil. He swore he'd rather see every
chicken and turkey on the place rot be-
fore he would sell them TO any -
Yankee for a thousand times what thew
We're worth. That settled il with Us.
Our northern blood had reached fire
heat. We could not stand such an in-
suit and ven straightway % the barn.
where a fine lot of fowls were pecking
grain. 1t did not take Us long to tie
tba Las 80 81. y..all- ,VnAl.. - aLs.t...-
and turkeys. As | was in the act of
tying up the legs of a proud gobbler !
looked up and 10 my dismay saw com.
Ing up the lane "A small company Of
confederate cavalry. | took in the sit.
uation at a glance. ! knew we had not
time to reach our horses, and to escape
on foot was impossible. In the barn
yard We're two fine, seek mules.
Throwing my string of fowls over the
back OF one and jumping astride the
animal shouted to ~Bill"--that was the
first name OF my comrade-to follow
my example. He did so, aud | took
the lead for the camp. The mule that
| was on had taken bat a few jumps
when | heard Bill" shout:
Holy smoke! He's baked. Jim"
a iObhNd 1tbNifA anu SURF tuOuEu LHC
mule had baked. The Johnnies were
close at hand, aud | shouted back to
"Biil":
Crawl on his neck. Bill and chew
his ear"
Bill" lost nv time ia trying the ex-
pertinent. lie got the end OF the ami
mails long ear into his mouth and began
operations. The mule gave a squeaI.
like that Of a stuck pig. ard rushed
madly after its mate. which | was rid
ing on, for dear life. Suddenly | saw
something loom up and rush past me.
1t was Bill" and his mule. Bills
teeth were imbedded in the animals
ear. aud blood trickled down the. side of
its head. Bill was ali bumped up on
the back Of his mad steed and presented
a most ludicrous sight. The turkeys
Hoped their wings aud the chickens
made a terrible clatter. which only
served TO make the mule 20 faster. |
heard the Johnnies behind us laugh.
They fired at us. but we were not bit.
| am sure that they could not have hit
Bill" for he was being carried along
a. a great speed.
Through the picket line of our regi-
ment and IN through the camp went
Bills mule. the fowls bobbing up and
down at ever. jump. As soon as !
knew we were out of reach of the en-
envy i gathered all of my Jung power
and shouted:
Let 60 the mules ear. Bill we're
safe"
bill" heard me aud let GO. He final.
~ succeeded in stopping the mule.
whose sides went in and out like a big
bellows. An examination showed "Bill"
bad chewed over half the mules ear
OF. Bill" allowed it was the toughest
bit OF meat he had ever tackled, but
that night he got square On roast tur-
key and chicken. We lost two OF the
best horses in VA army.-Caicage
Tribune.