The Portland daily press., 1900-01-10
RIDING A BUCKING MULE.
A "Punoher's" Adventure Described by
n story.teIIer from the Indian Terri
tory.

The Century Magazine's' prize for
the best short story submitted by college
graduate In 1899 was awarded to John
M. Osikson, Of Leland Stanford Univer-
sity, who's, home Is In the Indian Terri
tory, and whose blood IL partly Indian.
"Oniy the Master Shall Praise" Is Its
title, and one Of its scenes IL . descrip-
tion of ride on buoking mule.
"Out OF knot Of excited men Hammer
went straight to the waiting, restlsss
mule. With mock air OF bravado he
struck the excited mule across the flapk
with his sombrero, after roughly using
the reins. No one who has not learned
BY experience how to mount plunging
horse can understand how Hammer lifted
himself out Of the chaos Of rearing mule
aud struggling attendants into the saddle
before he signed to the men to turn the
animal lose.
"Whsn tie mule found itself free to act
there WASH momentary pause. Then
began the short nasty jumps straight
into the air, with the animals back
owed, its legs stiff. and Its head lowered
1t was ths first powerful effort Of the
angertd beast, made with dsvilish cont-
dence. Hammer was scarcely shaken by
these first straight jumps, but then began
the twisting series. which Is the second
expedient Of a bucking animal. jump
high into the air, with q seemingly i'm
| d ossible twist TO the sids land this mule
with It, head turned almost half round.
Before the rider caught his breath anoth-
or jump and another half-turn were made.
Ihsse are the motions that make bron-
cho- busters life shoI ter. Hammer was
bleeding at the nose In half minute.
The twisting jumps we're continued until
the strength OF the mule was almost ex-
hausted, and as yet only the hat OF the
puncher had been dislodged, A short
pause followed. during which the mule
chan ged its tactics, and Hammer thwacksd
| Its sweaty neck with his open hand. Ihe
next motion was q sudden resring by the
mule. As IL rose on It's hind legs the
| rider yankei fieroely on the reins, and
slipping 60 the ground on one side. AL
| 10 we'd the brute to fall on its back. The
iddle horn buI,ei itself in the earth, and
the mules hoofs beat the air moment
| before it scrambled to Its feet
'!Hanner was cooler than the mule
now, and swung himself back into the
SADDLE with tie first long leap OF the
desperate animal This was the easy
| spectacular part for the world. The mule
ran straight away for the opposite fence
of the fair grounds with long, lunaing
| jumps. rising and pitching forward with
| the speed OF n racing yacht. Hsnner
brought his craft about before 1t sale
| into the fence, and beat 1t fore and aft
with nourishing hand. he was wild
with triupmh now. his hair blowing In
the wiEd He leaned forward as In a
race, ourbing the thoroughly tired and
conquered mule straight for the crowd.
A particularly vicious dig with the spurs
made the beast plunge into tine scattering
knot OF spectators and rise TO four
barred CRATE. at the opposite side OF the
track no fence barred It's way. and IL ran,
| frigh taned and quivsring. under the
awning of a lemon ade-vepder's stand,
| scattering glasses and CONNECTIONS to the
winds, and wreokipg the stand. Hammer
slowly dismounted. stroked the swsaty
flank OF the subdued mule, then turning
| and picking up an unbroken bottls Of
sod o, proposed toast "To our gentle
old family buggy boss!