The daily morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven, Conn.) 1894-1907, 1898-02-11
RICARDo's BLUE MULE.


When Ricardo bought the mule of
the stranger who passed on, there was
nothing 40 distinguish him from the
innumerable mules of oblivion except
a streak of thin blue hair forming
tropical zone around his body just be-
hind his shoulders. Whether this was
natures frolic or the freak of some
former owners humor, Ricardo did not
inquire. That was immaterial mas
| much as the mule had four legs free
from eccentricities, and, as the pru-
dent Ricardo had taken pains to de-
| monstrate, could pull we'll at the ar
, rastrar pole.
Ricardo was delighted with his ac-
| QUESTION. He could see in it the dawn
| of new prosperity, a rainbow of de-
| lightful promise. mi favorita" he
| exclaimed, patting the beast fondly, as
| he tethered and fed him on that first
night of his proud proprietorship; "ah,
mi favorito!" The mule placidly
| chewed the straw which Ricardo Of
| fered, but did not respond to his en-
dearment with so much as wink.
1t was brilliant moonlit night,
| fitting time and occasion for an ex-
| change of sentiment, but there was
blank expression on the mules face
| that disturbed the impressionable Ri
| cardo. He disappeared, returned with
a tallow candle, and held it before his
companions eyes as if more intently to
| study his physiognomy. Not shadow
| of change passed over the beasts
| countenance; not blink nor sign of
curiosity was aroused by the sputter-
| ing dip. When his new and admiring
| owner lifted his head, the blue mule
| gazed calmly into the armament as
| though the candle were part of it,
| and then plunged his nose again into
| the straw brought from the Valley Of
| Sonoyta, fifty miles away, where
things grow.
"Ay, ell estrangero!" sair Ricardo, re-
flectively, "swindler!" Ricardo could
| express his thoughts in two languages
but that was all he said. 1t was evil
| dent that his mind had reverted I'M
| pleasantly to him who had passed on.
Next morning Ricardo tied the mule
| to the arrastrar-pole, fastened the
badge over his eyes, and set him at
| work as though nothing had happened.
| He spoke genially to his beast, hit him
| inoffensively with the rawhide as a
| mere matter of form, and the blue
| mule plodded cheerily upon his endless
| journey. Imagine a circular pavement
| of large flat stones, with a double rim
| made of two rows of smaller stones set
| on edge; in the center an upright re-
volving shaft from which a pole radi-
ates horizontally to the outside of the
circle; bound to 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 two hundred and fifty 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 arras-
trar, and it is ground into paste as
the mule drags that heavy block Of
granite over it in the little circle.
| Walking around and around, the beast
would become dizzy were he not blind
folded-one readily sees that and con-
graduates the hoodwinked mules on
the happy and honorable way in which
they have been befooled into thinking
they are getting ahead.
A swarthy, corpulent man with
1 DldCh HILL dIlC d IGGUlC luIL OIL
beard, contrasting humorously with
his great bulk passed by and grunted
at Ricardo. The mule-driver saluted
| gravely. 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 authors
ty, owner of the mills, and virtually
proprietor of the town and it's inhabi-
tants. Woe be to the peon who would
incur the ill-will of the alcalde or of
the alcalde's hairless dog trotting by
his side!
l Another traveller came down the
sandy path. Although Ricardo had
been attending faithfully to his work,
thrill had come to his consciousness
at the moment she came through the
opening that never opened or shut, the
one door of the alcalde's house. He
looked up as if a gracious cloud had
passed before the sun in that cloud
less, pitiless sky; saw the girl, and
smiled.
"Mulcho calor," he said as she drew
near Topics of conversation are
much the same in all lands and among
all classes and conditions.
EYES," she said, pleasantly, sit is
very hot
where are you going, senorita?"
'"To the fathers store for some
chiles."
"You are going to have something
nice for supper?"
Eyes, some tamales."
"Ah, / wish But he did not
complete the sentence. 1t was cut off
by a snort from the blue mule, now
pulling and kicking as if in resentful
state of mind. STEADY" he shouted
to the mule, snapped his azote, then
turned to the girl again.
She had started off. ''Why don't
you come, then?' she asked provoking
ly, turning half around.
'sWait a moment, Teresa!" pleaded
the e-driver. you dance with
me to-night?'
i, It'll see!" she laughed as if to prove
that the sex has some tantalizing in
i, stincts in all ATTITUDES
Ricardo heard a mutter of derision
j from the arrastrar next below his, as
, the girl went on down the path. He
turned simply. Another voice accost-
ed her inquiringly. She answered gay
ly as was her wont, but did not linger
"Hombre brutal!'' mumbled Ricardo
4 Il