The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1900-12-16

mules 10 make one American army mule.
~ their establishment may he understood
when these twenty wa sone, drawn 10y eighty
mules. csmo along and perhaps ~ was Itic
wonder that the women and children all ran
behind The standing walls and only reekod
out, while the men got ~ far awnv from me
roads A. The ruins would let them, and with
expressions full of admiration h,ld no one
finger each and shou tod "Numbcr one
Number one Top side which Is pigeon
English for the best "
BLACK CLOUDS or DtthS.
out Of Tientsin the trail was over a PLAIN,
six miles to Pc, rsing. The outer gates 81
Ticntsin had hardy been passed when every
body In this wagon train discovered oh In the
northwest a most peculiar cloud dislIaN
The clouds were perfectly black and they hah
the appearance Of belng torn by the wind.
They were 81 most unusual shape. Iley
seemed to be sw ,rllig around and around In
tha air. but AWAY, comma closer. u was
fully half an hour befur" the discovery was
made that the -uppo-.J clouds were no, clouds
az all, but fpch~ ~ Wild dues. There must
have been millions ant millions u tlcin.
They few dire 'tly over the wagon tram.
The sky was black with them. They were 50
thick that when they passed Detwcen the tram
the sun was obscured They were too high In
the air for shooting. bu, they we're close
enough 10 be easily distinguishable. and
they made everybody wish that he had a gun
and the ability 10 hit a small black object 100
yardsaway.
The train got T. Pei Tsang lust after dark
and the millions Of ducks were sttll flying over
II. Al Pei rsang there wns a camp of Japan
csc soldiers on one side OF the Pe.-ho ana n
camp of British lldiamen on the other. The
! Dai.hn had a., 10 pr,s.aJ fbprp nd tlp lGlS
had constructed a rontoon bridge Just wid"
enough for a span Of mules to cross abreast
and draw a wagon after them. Crossing II
AZ night was ont Of the question and 50 III"
train stopped there until daylight. The
orders were g. start again a. ) o'clock IN the
morning and tho fortunate ones VINO had
brought cots stretched themselves out on
them and the unfortunate ones who hadn't
brought cots rolled themselves up in blankets
on the ground The blue sky was the cover
ina of all.
Itvasjust daylight ats. The old Eighth Cav
nlrym-n came around with n hnCon and hard
tack sandwich for his guest and n diprer OF
coffee made with pei-ho mud and then he
went 81 to inspect tho Nontoon bridge. tle
came hack. unhitched his leaders, tied th"m
on behind. and remarked 70 his passenger:
say, rard. take my advice and walk avays
to help digest that bacon. | tell YOU what it
il. they amt nothln' that will digest bacon
! like walkin'. and n fellcr what amt used 70
hikin' IL ouehter always walk after he's eat
bacon. II he don't he's liable to get sick.
Go on. pard. and walk aways, and I'll pick
We up the other side"
Now this kindly advice WA not rniAr-
stood al the time. but it was when the Eighth
Cavalryman's guest walked across that
pontoon bridge. Al stated before, It WIS
Just wide enough for a wagon 20 cross. Tho
river wa. running swiftly. The water was
seventeen fec, deep. The boats thnt formed
the bridge bobbed more or less when there
was no weight on rhcm When n man walked
across they bobbet enough to make him
sensick. VIVA, would happen when four
mules and a wagon got here could be imagined
I'm the last of This we're wagon train"
said tho Eighth Caval. man after he had
unlocked his leaders, but guess ] had
better take this bridge first ana show some
Of them hlanke'y-blank carpenters what
drivin' is. Gee, haw, GET up there. Dyna-
mi:e,"-and he cracked hi. whip and used
the butt OF i, on the Of mule thar he called
Dynamite, because he said the critters
kicked daylight through NOR" mon than
Reily's battery over shot II through"
rIcSL1sH WORK on THE BRIDGE.
He guided his mules Town 10 the British
Indian end Of the bridge and hero they SHE'D.
He put NJ his whip and conScd them. Finally
they went forward Tho first boat sank
eight or ten inches a. the weight of the mules
came on IL. They Rugged each other close
and pranCei The old Eighth Cavilrymln
talked to them as If hoy were humans. The
second boat was bobhiuC M and down lin
front Of them, and they stepped on it inst
"a tho weight Of the wagon cam" dovr on
the first bridge II was a mighty anxious
moment. The mules pranced and f',l against
each other. The boat sank under their
weight. but tho driver kept them going steadily
and 50 boat after boat was passed Now the
mules would bc almost on n level with the
drivers seat ari now they would he away
below him. There was perhaps a foot 20
spare on each side ~ the wagon wheels and
any false stop m"tnt Disaster, but the old
cavalryman knew h~ br7,n"1s and at last
the mules fol' he solid ground and pulled
AWAY Ike good fcilovs NJ tho bank on tho
opposite side. There he cavalryman stood
M on his seat. his arms nkimbo. and said
with 9run'S Of subtraction:
Now watch lhnm blqnk",y-blankei car
pent~rs get Drowned
The second wagon was inst about approach
ing tho end 81 the bridge. Tho go or more
Jap soldiers were MI gathered on their side
Of the river. yrinninG evpectnntlv. They
evidently had much tho same feeling as the
oI-cavalryInan, The S'~oni wagon go,
along to tho middle ~ tho bridge. whom q
of n sudden tho mules reared. ono. pushed
by the other. leapel N into the water. Tho
other was dragged after him. The wagon
swayed q mom"nt, there was a crash. and
over It went. The driver was In the bottom
Of one ~ the boats crreinC hi luck. and a
mechanic, Who WIZ or ;hc scat with him.
vas strurrjipr in tho water Wi', Tho r,ulns