The Savannah morning news., 1901-01-13

awakens him. He can tell the tread Of
the enemy at any hour of the day or
night and he is not bashful about lift
ing up his voice and warning his supe-
riOr officers.
"a mule will speak out and tell you
about thousand things that a horse
would let pass without saying a word
says the old army man. Hes a better
sentry than the average man, who would
resent being called by his name"
A mule never gets ratified. He has In
tuition, but he never jumps at concu-
sions, and he does not know the shape Of
fear. A mule can discover water two
miles off, and he always speaks up and
tells the driver about it. He will go with
out water for days if necessary, but when
he gets within shifting distance of It he
hats and remarks, Il say, now, there's
water over yonder, and propose to have
a drink, see?" Nor will he proceed till
he gets it.
A well trained mule can be ridden into
a well or up a tree. He never breaks
down on a march. AS in the case OF the
army wagon, there is a tradition that
people have seen people who once saw
a mule team collapse, but no person can
be found who has himself witnessed such
an event
When the back must be used in lieu OF
vehicles the mule is the only pack ami
NAL. He will carry everything his mas
ter puts on him, and he will carry 1t for
ever, and give no sign of complaint He
fattens on Wading marshes and swimming
rivers and climbing mountains. He is as
sure footed as he is clear headed. A mule
team can draw an ambulance six miles
an hour for twenty hours and feel rested
after eating a bunch of hay and drinking
a barrel of water.
Nothing short of an earthquake VIII
cause a mule to run away. He listens
to the roar of cannon without batting
an ear. The sound of battle has neither
terror nor charm for him. He stays
where you put him, and he raises the
white flag never.
The mule is an army classic, and the
stories about him are as the legends OF
Samson There is a familiar lincoln sto-
ry to the effect that one day the loss by
capture of a few mules and two major
generals was reported to the President
We'll" said Lincoln, with a shrewd twin
kle in his eyes, Il can make plenty OF
major generals, but I do hate to lose
those mules"
1t is properly understood among army
teamsters that the only ways to start
mule are to build fire under him. or to
swear until the atmosphere is blue. Mule
On the whole, Missouri men are supposed
to handle a mule a little better than any
body else. When Gen. Otis was in com
mand in the Philippines a raw Missouri
recruit was set to driving a refractory
mule team. His appointment was unfoi-
tunate, because he had "hitched
OIL to the Baptists" just before
joining the army. The roads
were almost impossible, and the
rest of the teamsters We're literally
bombarding their charges with oaths
The Missourian held his peace albeit IN
impotent rage. At last one of the wheel
mules baked and refused to advance
step. The driver used every endeavor TO
urge the beast along, but to no purpose
At last he roared out solemnly, "Oh
Lord, you know where this mule ought 10
be as well as anybody. The whole army
knows where he ought to be. He knows
where he ought to be. I know where
he ought to be. oh, Lord; and If he doesn
move in a minute l intend to say so, ny
gum!'
Another soldier was assigned to team
ster duty in Gen. Funston's division. he
presented himself alphabetically before
his superior officer.
"Cap'n," he said, hitching his thumbs
awkwardly in his trousers pockets,
wisht you'd pint Bill Jones to drivin
them mules"
"Hows that; can't you driver"
"Yeh."
what the devils the matter, them?
"Well, ye see, Cap'n, 1 amt half WICK
ed huff 1t takes a recklesser man than
a pirate to drive a six-mule team.
These assertions are all from the view
point of the army mules stubbornness'
No man who has had experience win
him doubts his loyalty, his courage anu
his toughness. A. IL. johnston