Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1899-11-28
INTELLIGENT PACK MULES.
During Their Army Experience They
Learn "a Good Many Things.


I'm the government service" Said an
ex-solder, the pack trains are led by a
bell mare and the mules learn to follow
her with a blind confidence that is aston
ishing. 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 Gen. Breckenridge came to
visit Gen. Shafter, who at that time had
shifted his headquarters to a point near
San Juan Hill. and how to provide him with
a saddle animal was Il serious question.
The climate of south Cuba had proven very
hard on our horses and they were nearly
all dead or disabled In fact the only re-
spectacle looking beast we could sorape
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 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 frantcally
endeavoring to get out and follow, each
one braying at the top of his lungs and
every bray in Il different key. 1t was the
most horrible row ever heard in the prov
ince since the bombardment of MORO Cas-
tie, and for the time being it looked as If
the crazy mules were going to tear down
the stOckade. Gen. Breckenridge was star
tied and refined up to Investigate, but mean
while u dozen packers had jumped into the
corral and went to work on the brutes
with clubs, trying to get them running
around IN a circe to distract their
attention. At last they succeeded and the
general fortunately disappeared down the
road before the drove came to a standstll
again. He would have cut a unique figure
If he had ridden up to Skaters tent lead
ing a solemn cavalcade of sixty-four gov
ernment mules, and that Is exactly what
would have happened had it not been for
Jh.a of min of bn
"A pack mule that has seen service gets
very cunning [ remember We had one old
fellow who had been in the army for twelve
or fifteen years and he knew much as
most of the men. He was occasionally used
as leader and was very fond of the job
because in that case he had no load to
carry. To see him maneuvering to get to
the front was very comical The regulation
pack weighs 300 pounds, and the mules
soon learn to size it up to nicely, refus-
ing to carry anything more. For that rea-
son they are blindfolded while being load
ed; otherwise they would be continually
looking around to see whether the pack
was inside the limit.
On one occasion We received coffin
to be sent to Sfboney and the old mule l
referred 10 was selected to carry IT. The
coffin weighed only twenty-five pounds but
the mule must have concluded from it's size
that 1t weighed a ton, and he immediat ely
began to groan in the most pitiful manner,
exactly like a human being. When the cof-
fin was put his back he pretended to
stagger and sagged down as if he was
carrying a 10-inch gun. At the same time
he turned his head and looked at me with
mournfu. expression that was as easiIv
read as SO much print: Good heavensr he
seemed to say, are you going to allow ,ne
TO be crushed by this enormous buraen p
We were all shrieking with laughter and
tried to make him TAXA his place in line
but not an inch would he bulge Finally
he deliberately Led over and knocked the
coffin OFF. That settled it. We ,et the old
rascal take the bell and I could almost hear
him chuckIing as it was looped around his
neck Another mule was then blindfolded
ana TOOK on the coffin without trouble"