The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1900-07-06

day. Oh. the din of that midnight cho-
RUS One would think that a big chain
OF mountains were dying with sins unfor-
given. And the bellmare in the midst of
her noisy adorers. kept up a coquettish
and incessant kicking and biting. This is
why she is loved so and sought after. the
packers will tell you.
The Lady of the Herd.
This lady of the herd is very important,
and her knowledge OF the fact is appar-
ent. She must have the temper of Jez-
ebel and the icy soul of Filipino female
TO hold her ascendency Should she warm
htue toward some great shaggy head
which bends near her adoringly, there
would be a scandal in the herd. and the
bellmare and her favored one would be
kicked out Of the business promptly. But
so long as she kicks and squeals impair
TALLY toward all the great stupid burden
bearers follow whittier she leads.
Beat a woman" observe the packers,
with the large wisdom of single men. and
eXiles from things feminine, "if you would
have her love you" These men achieve
such heights OF wisdom because they
know mules and belmares
The lady of the herd carries no loads.
The packer in the advance leads her, and
by virtue of her hearuessness she keeps
the whole herd in her train. If it We're
not for her, the packers could not keep
the mules together, for their heads are
free from halter or bride when on the
trail bell is strapped about her neck.
and in the dark the mules of a train fol-
low the sound and are satisfied. Where
the bell is there is also peace in the herd;
when the bell is silent the mules under
take to learn the reason. and in frenzied
search they cover vast tracks of territory
in all directions which is naturally both
ersome for the packers.
My head was full of the marvel of all
these things that night in Alphonso.
saw one of the big beasts in a careless
tit of affection place his head too near the
heels of the belle She used her heel as
usual and landed heavily. For a second
the mule was blinded, staggered. then (oh,
the shame, the crime of IT'D he forgot
himself and kicked back at the lady!
believe he was bruised for life by the rest.
before he got out of the herd.
Tiny fires dotted the outskirts of the
plaza now, and the glorious smell of bacon
and hardtacks was in the air; it
glorious smell but it maddened me. l
was quite a stranger to the infantry bat
talons having hyked for the first time
with them that day. And l had no IA
tons You who have never been in a
similar condition are wholly strangers TO
the keen. ragged edge of the word suf-
lSiiiS cuNitiAN Il Diliildilt tiOlle III Edile
to me. ! went over to the cook of the
pack train, who had a big fire started.
Please, sir" I said eagerly, 'can l
get you another pail of water?" He sized
me up for a moment. feeling the edge of
butcher knife. Then he kicked an empty
bucket in my direction and said:
BUST yourself"
l returned with the water and became
very busy poking the fire, washing she
of ba e
way. Suddenly he seemed 10 warm to me.
Who in he'll are you?' he asked kind
ly. l explained briefly. and added. deem
ing it wise to be honest. that | had lost
pony the day before; that ] didn't know
the infantry outfit in the town: that I
was hungrer than the she-wolf of the
Scriptures. In conclusion l asked hastily.
"Wil get some water?"
The little con- fires of the soldiers were
embers now. nd beside them the men
from the states were lying in the moon
light. rapturously rolling about in that
big and general sympathy which Is en-
adjunct of tobacco and stroug coffee. Al
last the packers came in from the mules.
The animals had been watered and fed
and only the herd guard was left with
them now.
Come and get It While it's hos, you saw
ages ordered the cook. Then he made
ing
Here's an extra mess tin. if you haven't
got one" And by way of introduction,
he concluded: "Fellers, this is one OF
them short-handed guys as writes for the
papers. He lost his mount and is out Of
grub. The only good thing about him ]
know is that he isn't one of them ID
soldiers"
Old Dad, Scar Face and Broken
Foot.
Then met Old Dad and Scar Face and
Broken Foot. They made a man out of
me with coffee and bacon, and treated me
as if 1 had been one always, and they
told me wonderful tales which / have yet
to repeat All, that was marvellous
night in the moonlight at dirty Alphonso!
When most of the fellows were drowsy
Broken Foot Bill went 10 the herd to
take his trick at the guard. l went with
him. Listen to the words Broken Foot
said to me that night and you will see
his big heart:
See that big roam brute with a hole
in his side?" he asked We'll that's
Mankller, the dead ringer for old Moon
Eye. who killed hisself to-day" l began
to see rare possibilities in the coming
story. Don't go near that brute; he's
wicked. Besides, that hole in his side
is rotten and smells bad
l could see the ugly wound in the moon
light The pack saddle had started the
hole, and the heat maggot of the tropics
had done the rest and made it incurable.
Often the Mankiler would turn his gaunt
head and bite at the wound, which left
II in shreds. Broken Foot went on.
"Old Moon Eye was the shape of that
brute only he was gentleman. He had
a hole in mis- side like that. We haven't
packed him for three days. This morn
ing he was stiff and couldn't follow. lie
lost hsself from the herd about noon.
and l saw him way up on the top of
cliff. He was "A pet of mine. and | called
10 him. His front feet were right OF
the edge. He looked at me kind of sor-
rowful, and then pushed hisself over.
He's a-layin' out there now in one of
them canyons. bout ten miles from here.
Standardization Eye--decent-feller"
An hour afterward we were still stand
ing together watching the herd. Broken
Foot and |. He seemed 10 want to say
something more, and so | waited. At
last Il came
Say. I've got an old mother back in
st Louis / send her something every
pay day, but ! hain't heard from her
In six months. Will you find out about
her and write me when YOU get back.
Kid ?-Broken Foot Bill Burdsell-Pack
Train Thirteen"
promised. and after that there was no
sound in plaza save the crunching of the
mules at their forage and antoccosional
coquettish squeal from the bellmare. And