LAUGHABLE EXPERIMENT.

Dunstan Times, Issue 542, 6 September 1872, Page 3

LAUGHABLE EXPERIMENT.

Out in a certain western fort, tome time ago, the major conceived the i lea that artillery might he us >d effectively in fighting with Indians by dispensing with gun-car-riages and fastening the cannon upon the hacks of mules. So he explained his views to the commandant, and it was determined to try the experiment. A howitzer was selected and strapped upon an ambulance mule, with the muzzle pointed towards the tail. When they ha t secured the gun, and loaded it with hall-cart'idee, they led that calm and steadfast mule out on the bluff, and act up a target in the middle of the river to practise at. The rear of the -nimal was turned towards the targe , and he was hacked gently up to the edge of the bluff. The officers stood round in a semicircle, whi'e the major went up and inserted a time-fuse in the touch - hole of tho howitzer. When the fuse was ready, the major lit and retired. In a minute or two the hitherto unruffled mule hoard the fizzing back there on hia neck, and it made him uneasy. He reached his head round to ascertain what was going on and, as he did • ), his body turned, and the howister began to sweep round the horiso n The mule at last became excited, and his curiosity became more and more intense, and in a second er two he was standing with the forelegs in a bunch, making six revolutions a minute and the howls er, understand, threatening sudden death to every mao avilbin half a mile. The commandant was observed suddenly to climb up a tree. The lieutenants avere seen sliding over the bluff into the river, as if they did'nt care at all about the high price of uniforms ; the adjutan made good time towards the fort ; the sergeant began to th'ow up breast-woiks avith his bayonet; and the major rolled over the ground and groaned. In two or three minutes tht re was a puff of smoke, a dull thud, and the mule—oh'! where was he? A solitary jackass might be seen turning successive somersaults over the bluff on’y to rest at anchor finally, with his howi zer at the bottom of the river, while the ball went off towards the fort, hit the chimney in the major’s quarters, carrying the bricks d .wn into the parlor, frightening the major’s wife into convulsions. They do not allude to it now, und no report of the of the results of the rxperiment was ever sent to the War Department. Chicago Times.