THE MASTER MULE.

Akaroa Mail and Banks Peninsula Advertiser, Volume 4, Issue 330, 16 September 1879, Page 2

THE MASTER MULE.

An Animal which honobed Pioche by his presence.

(From the Nev,, Chronicle.) This morning a couple of miners were seated on a boulder alongside the road to Sutro, discussing the kicking powers of the male. . One had just returned from Sutro and the" other' was on the way there, and having met near the rock they sat down for a talk. " Have you quit over there ?" said the jone who was eastward bound. : "Yes?"- ---" Why ?" " Mules.""'Fraid of'em?" " You bet. I saw one yesterday alongside an 'old boiler kicking off the rivet heads one by one. Never missed—one. I was just goin' on shift, and when I saw the mule and heard there was more of 'em inside, I weakened and threw up' my job. I've got a wife and three children dependin' on me, and I don't take no chances."- • ■ ' " The worst mule I ever saw," said the other, " was in Pioche some years ago. It was one I owned. One day it rubbed against some nails .sticking out of a post, and it turned square.round and drove those nails in one by .one, asing a single blow of the hoof with the iron shoe on for each nail: ' It' never missed its- lick, and always t drove ,'em just in to the head. Then' he ' saw a few tacks oh the post a little lower down which were only half driven in, and he drove, them in, too, with light taps of of the hoof, just as, gentle and easy as could be. ■ One day a man came along and set out a can of nitro-glycerine and giant powder. ' He wanted to get the mule to kick it and get killed. I saw ' him about the corral with the can and knew what was up. At first I was going to stop him, but then I thought if my mule was any kind of a mule-at all he could take care of' himself. So I just watched. Well, the mule saw; the can, and, walking up, smelt at it, and then squared himself for the kick. The man was sneaking off, and just as the mule was going to kick the can he caught sight of the feller, and changed -imposition so that his ; tail was. toward the man. He lifted his tail just like as'if he waa takin' aim, and let fly his, right ,hoof. The can went flyin' through the 1 air and hit the man square in the rear just t he was gettin' over a fence Iran— dred feet away. • The .exploded, and I never saw the man again': ' But next morning Pat Holland came lout in the Record and said that the. town had been visited by a shower of blood." "Mules - are immense when they-Jget roused." ".You bet." . ; . • , ' , h.i