The St. Louis Republic. [volume] (St. Louis, Mo.) 1888-1919, 1902-01-12

an -four n foot deep in a cirkle whereof
| the radius is that lariat. Toms gain on
Jerry like he allows he's shore the greatest
sport on earth.
(which this last is too much. I ropes up
Jerry for punishment. 1 ropes, throws an
hawg-ties Jerry, an he's layin' thar on his
side. His eye is obdurate, an thar's neither
shame nor repentance In his heart. Tom is
sort o. sobbin' onder his breath; which Tom
would have swapped places with Jerry too
quick, IN I sees he half has it in his mind
to make the offer only he knows I'll turn it
down.
THE other six mules comes up an loafs
about attentif an respectful. They ~jestifes
my arrangements; besides Jerry is plenty
unpopular with 'em by reason Of them heels.
I can hear Peter, the little lead mule. sayin'
to Jane, his mate:
1.-The boss is goin' to lam Jerry a whole
lot with a trace. chain. Which it's shore
comm TO him
II w'irls the chain on high an lays IL
along Jerry's evil side. kerwhillup! Every
other link bites through the hide. an the
chain plows a most excellent an whole
some furrow. AS the chain descends, pore
Tom jumps an gives a groan. Tom feels
a mighty sight worse than his compannero.
, At the sixth wallop. Tom can't bar no
more, but with tears an protests comes
an stands over Jerry, an. puts 1t up he'll
take the rest himself. This we're evidence
of brothcr,,y love is too much. an for Toms
sake l desists an throws Jerry loose. That
~feion-while 1 sees he's onforgivin' ap' is
s-harborin' of hatreds ag'in NEEDN'T for
get the tIace-chain. an COMFORTS himself
like a law-abidin' mule for months. Which
he even quits bitin' an kickin' Tom a heap.
an that lovin' beast seems like he's goin'
to break his faithful heart over it. cause
he regyards it as a sign that Jerry's gettin'
cold an Indifferent to him that away.
But as | suggests at the start. thar
comes q day when L loses both Tom an
Jerry. It's about second drink time one
August mornin' an me an them eight
mules goes pirootin' through a little Mexi-
can plaza called ~'Tramperas' on our way
to the Canadian. over by a dolby stands
a old f1ea-bitten gray mare: she's shore
hideous.
(which IL mules has one settled an over
mastcrn' deloosion, it's a gray mare: she's
the goddess of the mules. This yere knowl-
edge is common; IL you-all is ever out to
create a upheaval in the destinies Of a
mule, the handiest, quickest lever Is a old
gray mare. The Gov ment takes advantage
of this yere alteration Of the mules. Thar's
trains of pack mules freightin' to the Gov
'ment posts in the Rockies. They fggers
on three hundred pounds to the mule. an
the freight is packed in panniers. Them
Gov'ment freighters. not bein' equal to the
manifold mysteries of a diamond hitch.
don't use no regular shore-encugh pack
saddle. but takes refooge in their Ignorance
in %panniers.
'Speakin' gen'ral. thar's mebby 200 mules
In one of these yere COMMENT pack trains.
An in the lead. followed, waited on an
worshiped by them mules, is a aged gray
mare. She don't pack nothin' but her vir-
choo an a little bell, which last is hung
round her neck a lot. OF course, this we're
old mare with rothin' but her feelin's an
that bell to cucumber her. goes fairly
speakin' fiyin' light. But go as fast an as
far as she pleases. them Iong-y'eared locoed
worshipers of hers won't never let her
outen their raptured sight. Which the last
one of 'em. panniers. freight an all, would
20 chargin' to the topmost pinnacle of the
Rockies If she leads the way.