208 PACKING AND STARTING. 
packer, placing his foot against the poor animai 
to get the greater purchase, hauls with all his 
might, until one would fancy mule endurance 
had been taxed to its utmost limits. Not so, how- 
ever: the other packer, who has been on the off- 
side steadying the aparacjo, now comes to aid ‘his 
comrade; each this time places a foot against the 
mule’s ribs, and, by their united efforts, nearly 
convert the beast into the shape of a dragon-fly ; 
the lynch fast, the blind is slipped off and the 
mule turned loose to grunt, kick, plunge and 
roll, as best suits its temper. 
When all are saddled, packing commences. The 
‘freight’ is all piled in loads; under each load 
lays the riata or long lashing cord, on the load 
the sling-rope. To describe the manner of 
‘putting on’ a load, and properly lashing it when 
on, is impossible. A month’s daily practice is 
insufficient to make an apt scholar a moderately 
good packer. One may watch the mode of fas- 
tening the load with a riata for a year twice a 
day, and be no more able to do it at the twelve 
months’ end than the flute could be learned by 
looking at another blow and finger it. Hence 
written description would be useless. 
Packs adjusted, the cook starts on the bell- 
mare, the mules being carefully counted as they 
