<«.^„,T TX^' 



CATCH UP. 51 



ers, who, weary of inaction, and filled with 

 joy at the prospect of getting under way, he- 

 come clamorous in the extreme. Scarcely 

 does the jockey on the race-course ply his 

 whip more promptly at that magic word ' Go,' 

 than do these emulous wagoners fly to har- 

 nesshig their mules at the spirit-stirring sound 

 of ' Catch up.' Each teamster vies with his 

 feUow who shall he soonest ready ; and it is a 

 matter of hoastful pride to he the first to cry 

 out—" AU's set !" 



The uproarious hustle wliich follows — the 

 hallooing of those in pursuit of animals — the 

 exclamations which the luiruly brutes call 

 forth from their wrathful drivers; together 

 with the clatter of bells — the rattle of yokes 

 and harness — ^the jingle of chains — ^all con- 

 spire to produce an uproarious confusion, 

 which would be altogether incoriiprehensible 

 without the assistance of the eyes ; while 

 these alone would hardly suffice to unravel 

 tlie labyrinthian mancEU\T:es and hurly-burly 

 of this precipitate breaking up. It is some- 

 times amusing to observe tlie athletic wagon- 

 er hurrying an animal to its post — to see liini 

 ' heave upon ' the halter of a stubborn mule, 

 while the brute as obstinately * sets back,' de- 

 termined not to 'move a peg' till his o^vii 

 good pleasure thinks it proper to do so — ^his 

 whole manner seeming to say, " Wait till yoiu: 

 hurry's over !" I have more than once seen a 

 driver hitch a harnessed animal to the halter, 

 and by that process haul 'his mulishness* for- 

 ward, while each of his four projected feet 



