A MULE WITH AN APPETITE.

Thames Star, Volume X, Issue 3396, 10 November 1879, Page 2

A MULE WITH AN APPETITE.

•* Cuss that mule," remarked Dick Garter to a companion teamster, who stood by watching Dick dexterously apply a dose of axle grease to the hind wheel of a back action.

" Which mule ? " asked the latter.

" Why, old grey, over there," said Dick poiuting to a 1500 pound animal that was amusing itself ,by kicking a fly off the tip of its rit»bt ear, in the corral adjoining. " He's swallowed another coat for me."

"Swallowed what?" said his astonished chum.

11 Another coat, by jingo. It's the fifth that he hits digested since the season opened. It's a fact, and I'm getting to be a regular bonanza for the clothing storemen," said Dick. " Such an appetite as that mule has got is rarely equalled and never excelled."

The mule sauntered over toward Iris driver, and Dick seizing him by the jawd, opened his mouth and extracted two horri buttons and a memorandum book, which, had stuck in the interstices of the brute's teeth, waring them in front of his companion's eyes as proof of his assertions. " Why, he's a regular cannibal. The last trip I was out on the road, I put up at Souther's station. One of thirteen, a six-year-old brat, came fooling around and I was too busy to pay any attention to him. After a while I looked around and be was gone. I suspected something from the mean look that the old grey mule had in his eye, but he didn't say nothing. When I foddered, I found a suspender stuck in grey's throat, and that satisfied me, The old woman didn't mlas the young 'un until bedtime, and thej searched that country roundabout without avail. I don't mind telling you that they never found him. Of coarse I knew, bnt I wasn't going to give it away. They'd a wanted to had post mortem on the mule, and I cbuld't spare time for any such foolishness. Oh, he's a terror. Why, he's cost me all the profits 1 made this summer in feed boxes, monkey wrenches, waggon tongues——" " Hold on," said the listener, " let's go over to Snyider's and wash thii much down. I can't stand any more."