The Jasper weekly courier. [volume] (Jasper, Ind.) 1858-1922, 1898-03-04
The Blue Mule ~
. n Of Quotovic.
! By Harry E. Andrews.
By Harry E. Andrews.


lJllFN lslciIuc DCuEht Al VI
w the stranger who passed on,
there was nothing to distinguish him
from the innumerable mules of oblivion
sxcept a streak of thin blue hair form
ing a tropical zone around his body
lust behind his shoulders. Whether
Ills was natures irolic or the freak of
some former owners humor, Ricardo
did not inquire. That was imnlaterial,
inasmuch as the mule had four legs free
from eccentricitics and, as the prudent
Ricardo had taken pains 10 demon
strate. could pull we'll at the arrastrar-
pole.
Ricardo was delighted with his &C
uuisition. lie could see in il the dawn
Of a new prosperity. n rainbow of de-
lightful promise. mi favorito," he ex-
claimed, patting the beast fondly, as he
tethered and fed him on that first night
Of his proud proprietorship; "ah. mi
fayorito." The mule placidly chewed
the straw which Ricardo offered, but
did not respond to his endearment with
So much as n wink.
1t was a brilliant moonlit night. a
fitting time and occasion for an ex-
change of sentiment, but there was a
blank expression on the mules face
that disturbed the impressionable
Ricardo. lie disappeared. returned
with a tallow candle. and held it before
his companions eyes as If more intently
TO study his physiognomy. Not a shad-
o. OF change passed over the beasts
c-ountcnance: not a blink nor n sign of
curiosity was aroused by the suffering
dip. When his new and charming own
err lifted his head. the blue mule gazed
calmly into the armament as though
the candle were n part of it. and then
plunged his nose again irto the straw
brought from the Valley of ~Sonoyta, 80
miles away. where things grow.
"Ay. Ell estrangero," said Ricardo, re-
feciiyely-"swindler." Ricardo could
express his thoughts in we languages.
but that was all he said. 1t vas evident
that his mind had reverted unpleasant
~ 70 him who had passed on.
Next morning Ricardo tied the mule
to the arrastrara-poie, fastened the
badge over his eyes. and set him at work
as though nothing had happened. lie
spoke genially to his beast, hit him in
extensively with the rawhide as a mere
matter of form. and the blue mule
ploddcd cheerily upon his endless jour
ney. Imagine a circular pavement OF
large fiat stones. with a double rim
made of two rows of smaller stones set
on edge; in the center an upright re-
solving shaft from which n pole radiates
horizontally to the outside of the circle;
bound 10 the pole midway a heavy block
Of granite. and hitched TO the poles
outer end the blue mule. a burro comes
down from the mountains with $50
pounds of ore on his heroic little back,
and gets his first drink of water for
three days. Ricardo dumps the ore into
the puddle of water and quicksilver in
the arrastrar, and il is ground into a
paste as the mule drags that heavy
block of granite over il in the little cir
Gle. Walking around and around, the
beast would become dizzy were he not
blindfolded-one readily sees that and
congratulates the hoodwinked mules on
the happy and honorable way in which
they have been befooled into thinking
they are getting ahead.
\ s%warthy, %corpulent man with
straight black hair and a feeble fuzz
OF beard. contrasting humorously with
his great bulk, passed by and grunted
ut Ricardo. The mule driver saluted
rrayely. He saw nothing incongruous
IN the alcalde's beard, nor could he re-
gard with aught but seriousness the
great man of the town and district, sole
representative Of law and authority,
owner of the mills. and virtual proprie-
Tor OF the town and its inhabitants.
Woe be to the peon who should incur the
il-will OF the alcalde or of the alcalde's
hairless dog trotting by his side!
Another traveller came down the
sandy path. Although Ricardo had
been attending faithfully 10 his work,
q thrill had come TO his consciousness
ct the moment she came through the
opening that never opened or shut, the
q door Of the alcalde's house. He