20 TltE STlilKE AT SJIAXE'S. 



''By the right of my abiHty to get here," said the 

 inule. " I am at present a free and independent char- 

 acter in this community, and seeing you assembled 

 here I thought I would come over and see what the 

 caucus was about." 



"May I ask where you belong?" inquired Dobbin. 



"I was formerly emplo^^ed by a street car company 

 of Indianapolis. I received too many kicks and blows 

 and too much hard work for the amount of food I got, 

 so I escaped from the stables and came out in the 

 country for a vacation," said the mule. 



" Well," said Dobbin, "if you stay here j^ou will not 

 be likely to find your condition any better." 



"Nevermind about me," said the mule. "It's just 

 as easy to jump out of the field as it was to jump in ; 

 and if farmer Shane tries to capture me, he'll find I'm 

 something of a kicker." , 



"That maybe," said Dobbin, "but you will find 

 that farmer Shane is something of a kicker too, as all 

 the animals on the farm can testify." 



' ' We will now proceed with the business of the meet- 

 ino; ," said Dobbin, "and will call on all the assembled 

 company to state their grievances and make suggestions 

 for the remedy." 



The cow was called upon. 



' ' My troubles are not as serious as those of some 

 others on the farm ; but I don't think I have been 

 treated fairly," said the cow. " I give all the milk for 

 the family, and don't begrudge them any of it, yet 

 when they took my calf from me I couldn't help but 



