Year: 1874




"Well, boys, l cant think of any
thing else tonight, but seme pranks
we used to play in the old Second
Ohio lying near Nashville, Tenn,
waiting for old Hood to give US some
thing to do. Company A had a Sec
ond Lieutenant named Tom Highly,
as mean a cuss as ever tyranized over
a set Of men. Tom became possessed
Of q mule somehow, but nobody knew,
although he said he had bought him.
Talk about your mules That mule,
for straight out cussedness, could beat
all creation. No use talking, he could
outkick a Kickapoo Indian, and give
him five in the game. l tell you, boys,
shat mule could kick fly off a
mouse's ear and never scratch the
mouse. Tom wac the only man in tho
regiment that could get within forty
rods of him and not get kicked oil to
pieces. Tom Highly was the all fired
est stiDgiest man in the brigade, but
he was always generous about lending
that mule. He'd say, oh, yes, boys,
take the mule and welcome. Certain
ly, go get him. He's in the corral
Use him as much as you want to.
Don't mind his playfulness. Yes,
take him. Then he would put bis
hands in his pockets and walk off with
the air of man who had done some
thing magnanimous. BIT he was just
as certain that the boys wouldn't use
that mule, as he was that he would
not lend them dollar, and you had a
dead sure thing on it that you couldn't
borrow dime from Tom, no how.


''It was one of the diversions of the
camp to get greenhorn to borrow
Toms mule. We would all go down
to the corral to see him get the mule,
or the mule get him, which was GER
tain to be the case. That mule wouldn't
stand fooling. He would extend the
hind hoof of friendship to fellow
quicker than CREASED lightning, and
he would laugh just as plain as any
mule could to see greeny gather him
self up and git for the fence.


"Well, one day Lieutenant Van
Horne picked up a daikey servant
somewhere, and the boys thought from
some remarks they had heard that
there was fun ahead. Van never be-
lieved that story of Higby's about
buying the mule. The, darkey had
not been in camp but short time, un-
til he got into muss and kicked the
cook of company q badly, and got q
reputation. He was as homely con-
traband as could be found in the State,
and his name was Pete Brownlow,
Massa Brownlow's boy In day or
two the boys concluded it would be a
good thing to give the mule shy at
Pete. Van was nothing 10th to see
the fun, so he sent Pete with his COM
pliments to Lieut.. Highly, and would
he please lend Lieut.. Van Horne his
mule?"


Pete went over, grinning from ear
to ear, and making his best bow, ad.
dressed Tom, 'Massa Higlebum, sar.
vint, sir, Massa Warmhorn wants for
to borrow dat ar mule of yourn, and
pervents his compliments tn Massa
Higlebum, and says dat how as dat
muel is mighty harpsum critter, an
he'd use him good 'Oh, yes, certain.
ly, my ace of spades, certainly. Tell
Lieut.. Van that l am only too happy
to have it in my power to oblige him.
Have the mulef Certainly. Just go
get him, Ebony. Take him at any
time. Don't need to ask me. just
take him any time you want him.


"Pete backed out grinning worse
than ever, and in few moments was
moving toward the corral with bri-
die he had borrowed from the quarter
master. We all followed to see the
fun. Old Satan CHATS what we call
ed the mule) saw him coming, and
took in the situation at once. He
commenced to work one ear back and
I forth, a sure sign he was awake, and
to slow y move bis artillery end around
in Pete's direction. But Pete had
been there before and knew which end
of a mule was loose. So he com
menced right oblique to flank the
mule. Satan waited until Pete was
about TO lay hands upon him, when he
swung around on pivot, lirnbered up
and let fly with both batteries at
Pete. But if Satan was spry so was
Pete. With one spring he had Satan
around the neck, and then there WAS
fun. Pete got the mule by the ear
and the mule got Pete by the seat Of
the breeches, and they had it nip and
tuck. At last Pete succeeded in back
ing the mule into the corner and after
struggle got the bride ON him.


In a jiffy Pete was on his back and
then there was some tall bucking and
biting. Did you ever see mule buck
No! Well, he just gets all four feel
off the ground together and when he
lights humps up his back kind Of sud
den like. Pete wrapped his long leg;
around the mule and stnck 10 him.and