134 MULES AND MULE BREEDING. 



drawing), and all ttat remains to be done is to tie the spare 

 rope ends with a double-reef knot (pulling tight agaiu 

 when making it) on the top of the pack. 



" Now, with reference to what I said above about pack 

 saddles. All the saddle that this tie requires is a large 

 pad; therefore if blankets are a part of the pack, they 

 make the pad. First lay an old half blanket as a sweat- 

 cloth on the animal''s back (folded so as to cover about two 

 and a half feet length of the back, and hanging down a 

 httle more than half-way down the ribs) j then folding all 

 the blankets and bedding to the same size, as much as 

 possible, lay them on top of the sweat-cloth, evenly one 

 by one ; on the top of that lay the canvas or waterproof 

 sheeting, similarly folded; then sling flour and other 

 provisions, in sacks, equally balanced on each side of 

 back (by means of small rope ties connecting them and 

 holding them in place) ; then put whatever other sack of 

 dunnage there is stUl to go on, on top in the middle 

 between the two last ; and then, over all, holding every- 

 thing together, goes the hitch. And if this is carefully put 

 on as regards balancing of weights, and made well taut in all 

 its parts, it will ' stick ' over the roughest mountain trails, 

 and when the pack is taken off at night there will be no 

 sore back, as is so frequently the case with a pack saddle. 



" I have used this hitch under all circumstances, having 

 packed only 201b. of blankets with it on a spare horse 

 when going on a cattle round-up, or 2001b. of general 

 camp outfit on a mule when crossing mountain trails 

 where a wagon could not go. It is too well known in the 

 Far West to require any testimonials, but one, I think, I 

 may give it. Twelve years ago, when I settled the ranche 

 on the Mexican frontier from which I write, smuggling 

 was the occupation of the Mexicans in the frontier villages. 



