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

, "SO- this we're gray mare don't like mule!
none; she abhors 'em an kicks an abuse:
'em whenever they draws near. But then
fool mules don't care; it's ecstasy to then
to simply know she's Twin, an that mules
cup of joy is runnin' over who finds himse1
permitted to crop grass within forty foot
of this yere old. gray. bell-bedecked lido
of his.
1--WE travels all day, followin' my team
glimpsin' that iea-bitten cayouse at Tram
peras. But them mules can't think or talk
of nothin' else. 1t arouses their religious
enthusiasm to highest pitch: even the
cynic Jerry gets sort o keyed up over II
Nacherally l looks for trouble that night
an particlar l pegs out Jerry plenty deer
an strong. The rest is hobbled. all except
Tom. Gray mare Or not. I'll gamble the
outfit Tom wouldn't abandon Jerry. let
the indoocement be ever so alloorin.
(Which a well-organized mule team that
away alters carrys along a broncho. This
we're steed, saddled an bridled. trots
through the day alongside Of the OFF
wheeler, his bride rein caught over the
wheeler's hame. This broncho is used 10
round up the mules in event they strays or
declines TO come into camp when called.
Sech bein' the idee. this yere csyouse Is al
lers kept strictly in camp.
James is my broncho's name; an the
evenin' the sight of that Tramperas gray
mare, I makes unusual shore that James
stays with me. Not that gray mares inn
presses James, or is doc to prove tempti-
tious to him: but he might have other plans
an get strayed Il lot prosecootin' of 'em TO
a finish. So / ties James to the trail-waSon,
an followin' bacon. fiapjacks. can tomatters
an sech, the same bein' my frooSai fare
when on the trail, | rolls in onder the lead
wagon an gives myself up to sleep.
Exactly as l surInises. when l turns out
at sun-up thar's never q mule In sight.
Every one of them besotted idolaters goes
poundin' back as well as ever he can with
hobbies OIL to confess his sins an say his
pray'rs to that old gray mare. Even Jerry,
whose cynicism should have saved him,
pulls his picket pin, an takin' Tom along,
goes curvin' off. 1t amt more than minutes
when James an me is on their trails.
Which 1 finds that team strung all along
between my camp an Tramperas. Peter,
the little lead mule. bein' plumb agile an q
sharp on hobbies, gets ci'ar thar; an
finds him devourin' that goddess gray mare
with his eyes.
AS / passes them pilgrim mules, l turns
them an lifts about a sauar' inch of hide
off each with the blacksnakc whip I'm car
ryin' by way of p'intin' out their errers an
breedin' in 'em Il eagerness to get back. to
the wagons which is their destiny. They
takes it humble an dootiful. an relin-
cuisines all ideas of reachin' that gray mare
shrine.
when 1 overtakes old Jerry, l pours the
leather into him speshfui, an the way him
an his pard Tom so scatterin' for camp re-
freshes me a heap. An yet when l rescoos
Peter from the demoralizin' inhooences OF
that gray mare, an begins to pick up the
other members of the team on the journey
back. I'm some depressed. 1 don't sec
Tom or Jerry. Neither is them mules by
the wagons when ] arrives.
IT'S pure. onadulterated cussedness that
away! Jerry. with no hobbies an merely
draggin a rope, can lope about a heap free
and permiscus. Tom. with nothin' to ham
per him but his love for Jerry. is even
more lightsome an loose. That Jerry mule,
hatin' me an allowin' to make me all the
grief he can. simply leaves the trail some
'ers. after I turns him an touches him up