The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1916-10-06
PERSHING SAVES
VETERAN MULE
Animal Seeks Sanctuary in Off,
GERS Row When Pursued
by Skinner.
END OF THRILLING CHASE
IronicaI Brays and Picturesque Lam
guage Feature Exciting Incident
With American Punitive Expe-
dition in Mexico.

Headquarters, American Punitive
Expedition, Mexico.-The army motor
truck train is a highly efficient unit
of the American army and plays an
important part in the life of this ex-
petition. And the truck drivers, as
picturesque set of pirates as ever
scuttled a can of gasoline, bring a
new type into the service that is not
without merit.
There is something heroic about
forbidding trails. that try to jerk the
wheels from the drivers hands and
send the motors slithering to destruc-
ton in some deep and rocky arroyo.
Eut it is doubtful if the motors
and their drivers will ever achieve the
fame of the army mule and his mas
ter, the army mule skinner. There
is an intelligence behind mulish mis-
chief that cannot be achieved by a
disordered carburetor in the center
of the desert. There is an element in
the contest of mulish stubbornness
and mule SINNERS language that is
not rivaled when motor settles down
in the deepest rut and refuses to
bulge.
Gabriel Takes to His Heels.
This is the story of one of these
contests:
Gabriel, a wise old mule that has
become a veteran in the service, took
advantage of his masters careless
ness at the picket line. He slipped a
loose halter, edged toward the end of
the line, and a moment later was gal
Looping to freedom. 4 moment later,
too, the mule skinner discovered Ga
briefs flight and singed the atmos-
phere with conversation that would
never pass the censor.
"Oh, you double-dyed offspring of
perdition," he remarked when he grew
calmer, 81 sure will skin you alive for
this
Then he picked up a young log,
about the size of a wagon tongue, and
started in pursuit. Gabriel made a
regular mules chase of it. He wait
ed until the mule skinner was within
striking distance. Then, with a gay
flip of his heels, he was off to a
point quarter Of a mile distant
Here he paused long enough to bray
ironically.
MAY all the alfalfa you eat turn
to barbed wire in your cOpper-riveted
insides," swore the mule skinner, as
he trudged through the alkali dust in
pursuit. BY this time the whole camp
was watching. Brother mule SINNERS
we're offering sarcastic advice to Ga.
briefs master. Gabriel rolled lazily
in the dust, waggled his ears, brayed
some more and otherwise Informed
the world that he was having a splen.
did time.
The chase lasted two hours. Even
Gabriel seemed to tire. As for the
mule skinner, he was reduced to an
exhausted human, spurred on only by
the desire to capture one slender.
legged mule and splinter the club he
still carried between the two long
ears. Gabriel loafed along toward of.
ficers' row, with the mule skinner dog.
trOtting in pursuit.
Saved by Pershing.
In front Of General Pershing's tent
waves the red flag with white star
that symbolizes the commander
quarters. Toward this flag Gabriel
ambled. There, with meek and in.
nocent look in his eyes, Gabriel came
to a dead stop and waited.
To the spot the mule skinner crept
taking fresh hold with both hands
on his club. He waved it a couple
of times testingly as he came.
"Now, you sin-spotted BRUTE" he
Kissed. "Now, I'm going to beat your
hard head into a pulp"
And then General Pefshing stepped
for a moment from his tent and sur
veyed the scene. Tho mule skinner
dropped his club. He approached Ga
briel softly. He patted his neck ten
derly.
"Why do you act like this, Gabriel?"
he asked. "Why can't you be like the
other nice mulesY
Then he led Gabriel away. Gabriel,
the veteran, smiled wise, mulish