Pine Bluff daily graphic., 1904-10-26
MAJOR,

AThere isn't a better natural mule i'll
the whole Congaree valley than Alb
ner Davis Major. Abner lives On the
some plantation where his father
lived before him in the slave times.
He is as poor in earthly possessions
az any need be, except that he has a
s.reat wealth of pckaninnies. On a
sunny day a passerby may count
more than dozen of them, kinky-
haired, barefooted, and but partly
clad in garments that are either too
large for them or too small In age
the pickaninnies go all the way up
from one-year-old Lucille, who spends
the most of her time sprawling on the
hot ground, up to 14-year-old Pete,
who is small for his age, and never
was considered any too sharp.
On the plantation they have al
ways regarded Pete about as useless
as they have Major. At least SO it
was until Petes recent invention.
Major was almost a founding. She
was left an orphan colt at the tende"
Aaee of two days, by fatal accident
to her mother; and young Master
Lewis told Abner to carry the baby
mule down to the cabin for the pick
aninnes to play with. That is how
Major became member of Abner'5
family. She was equally at home in
side the cabin or out. Properly they
should have named her Princess or
Queenie or Duchess or even Julia.
But Mis- Ethel up at the big house
had a magnificent black charger that
she rode and that was known the
country round as Major. So when
this awkward, long haired, orphan
baby mule was carried down to Alb
ners cabin the children declared that
she should be named Major.
Well, Major had a sunny nature.
She grew fast, and learned none OF
the mean tricks that other mules
know and practice. The pickaninnies
would sit or tumble all over her when
she was lying down. When she
stood up they would get upon her
&stride from her tall ears clear back
to her tail-a long, solid row Of bare
feaded, barelegged, grinning little
coons. And Major always appeared
to enjoy it as much as any of them.
There was just one peculiar thing
about her, whenever there was any
l,ody On her back she would not move.
AT other times she would run and
play with the youngsters dodging
and turning and scampering, like
great dog playing tag. But let one
or more of her playmates get on her
back, and at once she stood immov'
able as a rock
Abner did not like this. He took
it as sign that Major was going to
turn out balky. When she was a
half-grown mule Abner brought dowA
to the cabin an old push cart and
fastened to it a rough pair of shafts.
Little by little he helped Pete during
evenings to rig out set of home
made harness for Major. 1t was awk-
ward and ill-fitting, constructed out
Of scraps of old leather, bits of rope
ard string pieces of wire and rusty
nails. Yet it hung together on Majors
back and neck, and Pete had many
rosy dreams of many fine ride be-
hind the family pet.
The work of breaking Major to har-
ness was nothing. Both Pete and
Abner had expected more or less
trouble when they tried to strap her
uI and put bit in her mouth but
they were disappointed. A lamb or
kitten could not have been more gen.
tie. Calmly she permitted the cart
t., be drawn up behind her. until She
was fairly within the shafts and har-
messed to them. Abner climbed in.
drawing up the lines and said: Get
up"
Major didn't bulge.
Abner clicked at her, but Major
only let her long ears flop down
sideways. Then Abner slapped her
with the lines and spoke more ear
restly, eco long there, Major
When Pete took hold of the bride
and pulled, Major leaned comfortably
back against the breeching rope. 1t
was clear that Abner had guessed
right. Major was balky. He was
disgusted-almost angry. Pete was
So disappointed he nearly cried. But
he was hoping that some way would
he found to coax her to pull. Even
when Abner threw down the lines and
strobe away, Pete kept on pushing
and pulling and coaxing-even whip
ing. Major took it all with indiffer-