202 A KEFKACTORY MULE : 



Some of them had been deserted as being too lame to go any 

 further, and having led a solitary life for some months many 



of them were as wild as buffalo and much more fierce. F 



had a very close shave from one which charged him furiously 

 as he was going through some bushes, though a dose of small 

 shot cooled his ardour very much. 



When buying our new team of mules we had retained our 

 small pair in case of a breakdown, or of very bad going, when 

 we could put them in front ; and one of these, when he found 

 he was being worked again after a long rest, hit upon a plan 

 for avoiding this. When anyone of us went for him in the 

 morning, and was pulling up the picket -pin and wiping the 

 mud oif it, he would walk up and look on, as if waiting to be 

 led to camp ; but as you coiled up the rope he would suddenly 

 start oft 7 at a gallop, pulling the rope out of your hands, and it 

 was of no use to hold on, as he would then drag you along the 

 ground, tearing your hands and clothes. When this had 



happened several times, and F and I and the men had 



suffered in consequence, H , after laughing at us for our 



clumsiness, said that he would show us how it should be done, 

 so he started for the mule the following morning, all of us 

 going with him to see the fun. He began by petting the 

 mule a good deal and giving him some sugar, it being, he 

 assured us, a great thing to give the animal confidence in you ; 

 and he then proceeded to lead him to the pin, which he pulled 

 up, and was winding up the rope, when away went the mule, 



and in a few seconds away went H also, bounding over the 



ground, his braces breaking and most of his clothes coming or 

 being torn off. We told him that we did not notice much 

 difference in the result of his system and ours, and his required 



