The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1899-12-05
PACK TRAIN LED BY A MAREa
Mules Follow With Blind Confidence.
Cunning Army Animals.
From the New Orleans TimeS-DemO-

Cunning Army Animals.
From the New Orleans Times-Demo-
crat.
I'm the government service said an
eX-soldier, 'the pack trains are led by
a bell mare and the mules learn to fol-
low her with a blind confidence that is
astonishing. After the surrender of
Santiago the army of occupation had
several pack trains that were kept in
a. big corral near the camp. One day
General Breckenridge came to visit
General Shafter, who had at that time
shifted his headquarters to point near
San Juan hill, and how to provide him
with a saddle animal was serious
question. The climate of south Cuba
had proved very hard on our horses.
and they were nearly all dead or dis
abled. In fact, the only respectable
looking beast we could scrape up was
a bell mare belonging to one of the
trains, and the order was accordingly
given to saddle her up. The general
mounted and was riding away toward
headquarters when suddenly a most
hideous and unearthly tumult broke
loose from the corral. The mules had
caught sight of their leader and were
frantlcally endeavoring to get out and
follow, each one braying al the top of
his lungs and every bray in different
key. 1t was the most horrible row ever
heard in the province since the bonn
bardment of Moro castle and for the
time being it looked as If the crazy
mules We're going to tear down the
stockade. General Breckenridge was
startled and refined up to investigate,
but meanwhile a dozen packers jumped
into the corral and went to work on
the brutes with clubs, trying to get
them running around in a circle SO as
to distract their attention. At last
they succeeded and the general fortu-
mattel disappeared down the road before
the drove came to standstill again.
He Woud have cut a unique figure if he
had ridden up to Skaters tent leading
a solemn cavalcade of Ga government
mules, and that is exactly what would
have happened had it not been for the
presence of mind of the packers.
"A pack mule that has seen service
gets very cunning continued the eX-
soldier. Il remember we had one old
fellow who had been in the army for Il
or Is years, and he knew as much as
most of the men. He was occasionally
used as a leader, and was very fond of
the job, because in that case he had no
load to carry. To see him maneuvering
to get ito the front was very comical
The regulation pack weighs 200 pounds,
and the mules soon learn to size it up
to a nicely, refusing to carry anything
more. For that reason they are blind
they would be continually looking
around to, see whether the pack was
inside the limit. On one occasion we re-
ceived a coffin to be sent to Sboney.
and the old mule l referred to was Sc
lected to carry it. The coffin weighed
only rs pounds, but the mule must have
concluded from its size that it weighed
a ton, and he Immediately began to
groan in the most pitiful manner, ex-
actly like a human being. When the
coffin was put on his back he pretended
to stagger and sagged down as if he
was carrying 10-inch gun. At the
same time he turned his head and look
ed at me with a mournful expression
that was as easily read as so much
print. Good heavens!' he seemed to
say, are you going to allow me to be
crushed by this enormous burden?' We
were all shrielzing with laughter and
tried to make him take his place in line
but not an inch would he bulge Final
ly he deliberately rolled over and
Knocked the coffin off. That settled It
We let the old rascal take the bell, and
I could almost hear him chuckling as
| it was Topped around his neck. Another
mule was then blindfolded and took the
coffin without trouble