Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1908-09-16
THE
EXPANSIONIST
PANCHO.
BY HERBERT COOLIDGE.

Every Mexican mule learns to bulge
his sides and hold his breath when
the cinch is being frightened; every
Mexican hOrseman knows how to
fasten the saddle securely despite
these efforts.
But the EXpansioniSt Pancho had
Toiled them all, unless, indeed, we
except his master, Don Alvitro, with
his occasional clumsy triumphs. Pan
chO was an animal of wonderful pow
ers of inhalation, and his glossy black
sides once inflated were as inflexible
as the hickory slaves of a molasses
hogs-head.
Don Alvitro, by secret process ex-
tending over four days, could adjust
a saddle to stay 1t was then his Gus
tom to leave the Expansionist sad
died until he could sell him to some
stranger, who, a few days later, was
willing to sell him back to the rascal
Ey vender-the only man in the coun-
try who would buy him-at a ire
mendous discount. l was Alvitro's
eighteenth victim, also the last, for
I turned the animal over to my lit
tie nephew, who rode him bareback.
What boy does not find out about
a mule is not worth knowing; and
was not much surprised when my
brothers son announced that he had
discovered a system for saddling Pan
cho.
Upon the present Of a spry mus
tang, the youngster gladly relinQuish-
cd his claim on my mule; and for the
first time in his life Pancho utilized
his marvellous powers of inhalation
for the good OF man.
In the years of faithful service that
followed / had many inducements
TO part with Pancho,-among them
was a handsome cash offer from Don
AlvItro,-ibut firmly retained him I'M
I'll the hot summer day that met
n tall stranger on a road through the
foothills near the Mexican border.
he was afoot. He wanted to know
how far 1t was to water; also if
would give him a few swallows from
my canteen.
While l was plucking at the knot
which fastened that article to the
saddle, withdrew my eyes from the
appealing gaze of the thirsty stranger,
and a moment later looked up to find
myself covered with big nickel-plat-
ed revolver.
Get off that mule! / want him."
Evidently" thought I, "the time
has come when the Expansionist Pan
cho and I must part
A little later it developed that /
and my revolver and thousand dol
lars of my employers money must
also part 1 anticipated difficulty in
making my employers and others be-
Iieve that the parting was really
necessary, and yet as l stared at the
hard visage behind the scintillating
revolver, it seemed to me that my
conduct was not irrational.
Clearly 1 cogitated, as with up
stretched arms 1 obeyed the strangers
curt command to back off ten steps
'this is a gloomy situation-and with
no silver lining"
Then the robber hooked a stirrup
over the saddle-hOrn preparatory to
recinching: and / felt unspeakably
better. Pancho seemed relieved, too,
when the latigo was loosened; and,
as his new master lifted the saddle
back from his Eithers, carefully
spraddled and braced his stout legs,
and filled his black skin with one
of his wonderful inhalatiOns.
This was nothing to my friend, the
robber. He put his foot against the
/. cinch-ring and pulled, easily at first,
then until he was red in the face, at
the long latigo. Finally he made fast,
satisfied, apparently. with having ex-
erted all his strength and taken all
the stretch out OF the saddle rigging.
II would be easy, ne doubtless assured
himself, to dismount a mile or so
down the road and recinch the mule
when the brute was off his guard and
a trife winded.
But l knew that Pancho was never
on his guard when a man dismounted,
and never too much winded for sue
cessfuI expansion. Instead of start
Ing back to San Diego. as l was or
dered by the stranger on pain of
death to do. l turned and followed
him the moment he disappeared round
a turn of the road.
/ peered out from behind a rock at
that turn just in time TO see the
Expansionist perform familiar an
tic. Pancho's nerves were absolute
ly stable except when there was 2
two-inch air-space under his girth.
Then the falling of a leaf or the chirp
of an insect would cause him to lurch
violently sidewise. Lucky the rider
then If the saddle did not turn and
throw him headlong. The tall strang-
or, who was an excellent horseman,
weathered Pancho's trick with the
e hnd hn no