MULES FOB MILITARY SERVICE. 



133 



off side takes his end of the rope as shown in the drawing, 

 and, passing it down through his stirrup-loop, puts it under 

 the belly and through his companion's stirrup-loop on the 

 other side (both meanwhile holding taut with one hand 

 above). When he has pulled the slack of his part of the 

 rope through (but not till then) he tells his companion to 

 slip his foot out, and at the same time smartly hauls the 

 caught-up stirrup-loop from the near side into its place 



under the mule's belly, as shown in the second drawing. 

 Then his companion in turn takes his end of the rope and, 

 reaching under the belly, puts it through the stirrup -loop 

 on the off side (which the first man has kept his foot in) 

 and hauls it similarly into place on the near side of the 

 belly, then both on their respective sides, giving a good 

 pull together, make everything taut (as shown in the 



