The Manchester journal. [volume] (Manchester, Vt.) 1861-current, 1899-07-06
o'RouRKEs LUCKY MULE.

hsve usbsd ID Ever since iis discovery
lons chain Of events. Including toe DC
,lruetiou oi The mill by dyasmiltrd ic'
days sso, have destroyed the pr~hs Q
ops,atins vhs, should be one Of the riel
esi miues 10 the Coeur d'Aleue district.
w,li % The X oteus ooaairJ Is nos, /
hs undergone many changes siucs sull
van aud O'Roafko vent prospecting owe
II lees than 20 years sso At ths, iim'
I Chief saltese sc his Coeuf d'Aleue lnd
ace DID DOT take klndly 10 the Shite tire,
psssers, aud variike Sioux were BOT in'r'
queut visitors 10 the region Now and
then a vsudefins band Of Ctees sere ct
couuiered and tbievios Gfos fenires stole
many prospestlr's oolat The Indian.
h.ve given way to white men not less dan
serons, bnt 90 one prospects 10 the Occur
dAleue district now. All tie country has
been carefully examined sad II Is seldom
that new bodies OF ore sre found.
No, far from kuobknoster, No ,
O'Rontke vas brought up 90 farm HE
generous disposition gained for hin the
reputation OF a spendthtiit, Il vas pre-
dic,ed thst be would never bsye nolhic, =
sud this prediction was confirmed when
he traded a yslusble gold watch Tor aa no
dersized baky mule, Indeed, II was this
transaction as much AZ anything else that
ind duced hi Il to convert all his worldly
goods inio cash and set out, leading ihe
mule, for the fer west, where the repuls
uon OF neither him self nor the mule was
known Irish seusitiyeness caused him to
leave at night 1t WAS week before the
neis shborhood kuew be bad gone, Years
sittrwsrd, when be went back With gold
enough to buy any ten farms 10 that part
OF Missouri, aud the younger generation
had n,sDy laugh over the comments his
departure had caused
The trail to the west was main Travelled
road in ,hoIe days. aud before long
O'Rou,ke fell 10 with another lriohmsn,
uamed Sullivan. who had spent number
OF years at miuiDg 10 Colorado. With
only a vague conception OF bis destination,
0'Routke agreed 10 accompany Sullivan
to the Occur d'Aleues, which country was
lust beginning to be heard Of. The sgo
men met with many nisicrtuDes. SulIi
vans horses died. They hsrne9sed the
little mule and tried to make him take the
place OF one OF the horses. but he would
not pull. He would carry q pack on bis
back quite c1eeriulIy. but when hitched
to vehicle be would not pull pound.
Sullivan wanted the satisfaction OF killing
him, and O'Ronrke at one time consented,
but changed his mind before the execu
tion took place. When they reached
Wslla Wslls. all that was left Of their pos
sessions wss the mule aud one team.
They sold he horses and tried to sell the
mule. bat no one would buy him. so they
bought some provisions and loaded them
90 his back. Then they set out for the
Koo.ensi bills,
The mule coon leerned to follow them
like Jog. He needed no driving or lead
ng, and the patient, unob,tusive manner
o which be plodded along bearing the
,eHus, ccnee and bacon soon made the
men forget his former shortcomings. 1t
vas early 10 the spu 9 when they started
All summer they trsmped over the hill
Vow and then they would find traces OF
liver, but nothing to warrant any work.
'Ronrke a'ter the fret month, Learned
o pass by piece Of mica without picking
| up and shouting that be bad found
liver mine. The frst snow Of the year
sd fallen, and the two men we're slowly
asking their way out oil the hills. All OF
heir provisions except salt and coiiee had
no ont and they we're living on venison,
ofiee and salt. Lack OF food and con
,ant oompsnionship made the men queru
ous. Every suggestion made by one Was
vetoed by the other. 10 this
isy each began TO think more OF the
lule He was generally only short dis
,nce away from the campfire huLting
untirg patiently for the tufts OF grass
bat sprsug up between the rocks. Alter
quarrel one OF the men always hu lted
o the u mule and made confdsDt Of him
bile the other moodiy stirred the camp
re aud made 8 mental survey OF the
hortest route back to civilization.
Late in September one event the men
'ent into camp on the hillside. The mule
as relieved OF his pack saddle end turned '
pose. There was DO venison. Two rsb 0
it's, food which every plsinsmsn despises,
ere oil they had for supper. 10 their u
urry to get out OF the bills before snow
,orm should imprison them The men had ?
OF stopped since morning. They were
red ani hungry. Not far away mouu $
lin stream flowed swiftly down the bill q
de aud Sullivan after supper was trying II
catch fish. 0'Rourke was lying by
ie tire smoking his pipe and wondering
ow a man could be so foolish ss TO try to L
.,ch the wsriott 0. all The fnuy tribe p
hen be had only piece OF twine and a
r.sshopper lot bsit. Ga. OF The recesses
one OF his wsisteot pockets Sullivan
IA extracted fsbbook which had been J
Iere 80 long be could DC. remem Der d
here be got H. q
O'Rourke was watching the mule aud II
,,bips he hsd The sane stoicsl ten pers Al
ant. He Eel as though be would give y
arm fors piece Of the toecske snd
zen they we're having back 10 old Mis- ia
ari tbs, hight. he coulJ see the lu'
on. Concord s.pes on toe afbot Of that Il
lin porch. He ,emem bertd the tie