Manchester Democrat. [volume] (Manchester, Iowa) 1875-1930, 1904-04-27

VlSage ana the uncOmprOmlSing dig.
nifty which marked his every move
ment. He was, on the whole, an ex.
emplary animal. But he had one fail.
ing which he generally exhibited UNI
action. or rather want of action, as
Illogical as 1t was annoying.
Over wretched roads and up steep
hills Judge" would pull more than
all three of his companions Five
minutes afterward he would come to
standstill on beautiful level stretch
or even where there was downward
incline. On these occasions all ar
gument was useless. and travel was
suspended until his honor saw proper
to reconsider the case and move on.
To facilitate his capture, Judge Al.
ways wore about his neck and trailing
after him rope of considerable
length. This we now carried ATTIC
use nautical expression-and talk.
ing one or two turns round his honor's
tail, passed loop over the dead lions
head. Then the procession started
for camp.
After taking few steps. it occurred
to Judge that his primative har-.sss
required investigation, and etKing
back, his gaze fell upon terrible
object Immediately behind him. Sat
isfying himself by longer look that
this was no optical illusion. he gave
ven. 10 one wild. heartrending bray
that was almost wall. and dashed
forward as if pursued by terrors o.
which no mule had ever dared Ia
dream. before
The rope. very old one parted al.
most Immediately; but his radiance
Of his incubus did not serve to allay
the fugniive's fears or. at least, TIC
diminish his speed. Indeed, he MAIDS
all the better time for being unincuM.
bered
The course taken by Judge led &
rectly through camp. and there is nc
telling Just where his flight woMiI
have ended had the course been clear.
AS it was. he brought up against (
guy-rope of our solitary tent. Tho
structure collapsed like ruptnres.
balloon. and it was with considerable
labor that Dick and | released the
astonished occupants from their car.
vas prison.
After breakfast Dick and removed
the lions hide. We were appropriate
ly proud of our trophy. but we little
dreamed how useful it was to be dur
ing the rest of our outing.
Two days later we we're moving to
a new survey, and had covered about
half the distance to our destination
when. on beautiful and perfectly
level piece of road, Judge called a
halt.
1t was not later than ten o'clock In
the morning. but the chief ordered
dinner to be prepared, by way of i'm
proving our enforced leisure.
In order to reach the mess-chest,
which was in the wagon. several light
err articles were taken out, and among
these was the lions skin, which some
one placed on the ground within few
feet of Judge. Immediately the mule
was filed with terror, and was held
| with difficulty by three men.
Henceforward we never experienced
any serious delay from Judges sulks.
A sovereign remedy for that malady
had been discovered, although it soon
became evident that the invigorant
must be administered with caution.
The slightest glimpse of that mani
mate terror would rouse Judge from
his most profound fit of abstraction,
and after the hide became dry and,
resonant tap with it opt, sIsIde Of
the wagon was afl-suficient.
Once, when Judge had received q
liberal dose of his tonic and had near
ly run away with his fellow mules
and wagon, Dick said,. solemnly:
"I've heard tell of ass that went
paradin' round in a lions skin, but
| reckon mighty little of SIGH dressin'
would satisfy Jedge"-Youths Com
panion.