A LOST MOOSE 83 



saw a large flat rock with a round bottom hav- 

 ing a weight of perhaps fifty pounds. Char- 

 ley placed his left fore-foot carefully on this 

 rock before putting his whole weight upon it. 

 It held firm; he made just one step more, 

 turned the corner, and was lost to my sight. 

 When Billie reached the rock he also placed 

 his left front foot on it. At the first impact 

 of the foot it held, but when Billie's whole 

 weight was placed upon it, it slipped from 

 under him. 



A mule in such a situation as this is as quick 

 as the proverbial lightning, and Billie did the 

 only thing that he could do — he lifted his foot 

 like a flash from the sliding rock, jabbing it 

 down into the round hole which the rock had 

 left exposed. This naturally threw the mule 

 to the left with a sharp, sudden jerk, but fortu- 

 nately I had my right knee tightly pressed 

 against his side. For a second I thought Bil- 

 lie and I would surely go over the precipice 

 (and if so, I should never have lived to tell 

 this tale), but he held his ground firmly, and 

 the next step we also turned the corner, Billie 

 appearing as calm and as placid as if by his 

 adroitness he had not just saved himself and 

 his rider. My heart was very thankful to 

 him, and I leaned over and patted him on the 



