The Winslow mail., 1898-12-03
AN AGUADORES MULE.
Gne of Gen. Duff las Stubborn Beasts
Made q Weak Man CT a Hardy
Soldier.

One day corporal by the name of
Jack De Forrest went 10 Gen. Duffield
and asked him fer mule TO ride over
to El Paso, about eight miles from
camp, to get some tobacco.
well, my boy" replied the general,
you can take the mule if you will
promise to bring him back"
The corporals sense of honor was of
Tended Immediately. "Why, certainly,
general; L will return him within two
hOurs.'
The general bowed and smiled his
characteristic smile. but said nothing
more, and the young man went off to
the corral and, after selecting a small
gray beast with very large ears and very
little tail, he succeeded in lassoing him.
and after securing his rope in the shape
of 4 bride jumped en- his back and rode
eff down the hill al Il brisk pace. as hap
py and gay as bluecoat could possibly
be on bright, sunny day in Cuba. As
he rode along under the seanty shade
of the palmetto trees, through the chap
paral and royal palms, he sang snatches
of patriotic songs and whistled Van
kee Doodle" and ''Therc1l be a Hot
Time" until lie reached his destination.
The town is built on two cross roads.
the one leading from Santiago to
Siboney and the other is The bog road
from Ei Caney to Aguadores.
When Jack had purchased his ''smck-
in and "sassed" the "refugs," he went
back to his mule, which was quietly
eating Ceiba bark from the small puny
hands of a reconccrtrado child, and
when the corporal gently stroked his
head and called him good mule" and
a ''fne trotter," zone of the best ami
mails ever created" that docile beast
switched his tail in an appreciative
way and looked wise. Alas for the cor
porals fiattery! 1t turned the mules
head. No sooner had his dignity
mounted upon the back of this 'gocd
mule" than his rear legs went up in the
air and Jack landed in n SMALL uddy
bog hole head first. OF course, the cor
DODO 'EmPol "t "'N'l II m"l Z"
porat elm bad out patted the mule on
the head and thanked him for the cour-
teous manner in which he had treated
him. "To cuss a stubborn le Will
make him wuss,' an Old scutI nor Lad
told him, and lie used all his wers of
tact and delicacy to show tL,- eonceited
beast that he Jacll) was not at all
angry with him for upse ting him. con-
soling himself with the fact that it
must have been the result of Cuban
gnat bite. Once more did the young
and brave soldier mount his gallant
steed, and turning the long neck
towards camp, the two trotted off at a
lively gait, much to the amusement of
the curious crowd left behind who had
gathered to see the throw"
Jacl; thought his tronble was all ove4,
and joyfully took chew of his weed,
recently purchased At the intersec-
tion CT the Aguadores road, strange
fancy took possession of the fine trot-
ter" and with triumphant whirl he
started off at dead gallop towards the
last scene of the Spanish-Ameriean war
In vain did the corporal cogitate with
the strong-headed beast. In vain did lie
remind him that the Cuban sun was
sinking fast. and that if they did not
return that he (Nlr. Mule) would miss
his supper, and that he (Jack) would be
court-martialed. This only increased
the gait OF his noble nibs into terrific
gallop. which obliged Jack to ''lay over
and ''hold fast" CT the 'starboard side"
for fear of Keeling" Soldiers at the
side of the road hailed the two as they
passed, but the mule desregarded their
words Of passing welcome. Guards
with fixed Eayonets on their guns had
no tcrrors for this 'gocd mule" and up
and down hill and dale they flew as if
a Spanish body of cavalry were pursu-
ing them. Jack in his fight was obliged
to be dragged through Cuban grave
yard, and saw the bodies of persons
floating on the tops of the watery
graves. The mule did not stop long
enough, however, 10 allow him to take
their names eff the headboards in order
to report the matter. They were near
ing the ocean, and the laundering roar
of the breakers could be heard distict-
ly. Would that blankety blank mule
never stop?" thought the now terrified
Jack.
Out upon the beach the noble animal
rushed. and dashing forward to the
edge of the rolling surf, he stopped
much in the same manner street car
does when the brakes are applied sud-
denly. Five minutes later there
emerged a thoroughbred Baptist from
the ocean in the shape of a dripping
belonging to the Seventh
with an awful vow on
his lips to take that id mule back to
Gen. Duffield dead or alive. He did;
but it was six o'clock next morning
when the general, standing in front of
his tent, saw coming up the hill de-
jected corporal wearily leading small
gray mule by long rope. Jack sa,
luted the general and said in faint
voice: eff you please, sir. brough him
Back" and dropping the rope, he gave
a savage look at the now docile beast
and hurried off to his quarters.-Toledo
Commercial.