Audubon Republican. [volume] (Audubon, Iowa) 1894-1925, 1898-02-24
The Blue Mule ~
~ Of Quotovic.
By Harry E. Andrews.

NTHEN Ricardo bought the mule of
wv the stranger who passed on,
there was nothing to distinguish him
from the innumerable mules of oblivion
except a streak of thin blue hair form
ing q tropical zone around his body
just behind his shoulders. Whether
this was natures frolic or the freak of
some former owners humor, Ricardo
did not inquire. That was immaterial,
inasmuch as the mule had four legs free
from eccentricities and, as the prudent
Ricardo had taken pains to demon
strate, could pull well at the arrastrar-
pole.
Ricardo was delighted with his ac-
QUESTION. He could see in it The dawn
of new prosperity, 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
favorito!" The mule placidly chewed
the straw which Ricardo offered, but
did not respond to his endearment with
SO much as 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. He disappeared, returned
with tallow candle, and held it before
his companions eyes as if more intently
to study his physiognomy. Not shad-
ow of change passed over the beasts
countenance; not blink nor sign of
curiosity was aroused by the suffering
dip. When his new and charming own
er 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, so
miles away, where things grow.
cay, ell estrangero!" said Ricardo, re-
fectively-" swindler!" Ricardo could
express his thoughts in two languages,
but that was all he said. 1t was evident
that his mind had reverted unpleasant
ly to him who had passed on.
Next morning Ricardo tied the mule
to the arrastrara-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 in
extensively with the rawhide as mere
matter of form, and the blue mule
plodded cheerily upon his endless jour
ney. Imagine circular pavement of
large fat stones, with a double rim
made of two rows of smaller stones set
on edge; in the center an upright re-
voNing shaft from which pole radiates
horizontally to the outside of the circle;
bound to the pole midway 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 it is ground into
paste as the mule drags that heavy
block of graniee over it 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.
A swarthy, corpulent man with
straight black hair and a feeble fuzz
of beard, contrasting humorously with
his great bulk, passed by and grunted
at Ricardo. The mule driver saluted
gravely. He saw nothing homogeneous
in the aIcalde'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 peor who should incur the
ill-will of the alcalde or of the alcaldes
hairless dog trotting by his side!
Another traveller came down the
sandy path. Although Ricardo had
been attending faithfully to his work,
a 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