MULES NOT MODELS OF AMIABILITY. 203 
quires, in the packer or packers, an equal amount 
of skill. 
As I have already said, a bell-mare is absolutely 
indispensable to a train of mules. <A single mule 
can be tethered to graze; a train must be turned 
loose, and kept if possible from wandering by 
the bell-mare, which must be either tethered or 
hobbled. More than this, unless the train volun- 
tarily followed the bell, no power on earth could 
drive them a yard when loaded. Pigs are models 
of passive obedience compared with mules; mules 
never, by any remote contingency, do right except 
by accident. The bearer of tea, tobacco, bedding, 
instruments (anything, in fact, spoilable) is pretty 
sure, if he has a chance, to fall or purposely roll 
in any water through which his route lies. Nine 
chances to one, when an early start is determined 
on, two or three mules are absent; and after 
hours of search and delay, the irate packers 
suddenly pounce upon them, or they come strol- 
ling back, whisking their tails and braying for the 
the bell, having been quietly snoozing or design- 
edly hid in the bushes or sedge-plants close to 
the camp the whole time. 
We had one small ‘ pinto’ (spotted) mule, very 
good if anyone could only get on his back, and 
sit on it after getting there; when packed, his duty 
