Dec. 8, i960.] 
FOREST^ AND^ STREAM, 
443 
The next morning he ale a hearty breakfast, and then 
hoisting the deei" and his other belongings on to his 
broad back, started for home. As he loiied along the 
rough road, with the heavy pack growing heavier every 
moment, direful plans for vengeance floated through his 
brain, in which a certain mule was the central figure 
He was compelled to stop often and rest his straining 
muscles. During one of these pauses, when he had 
about a mile left to cover before he reached home, he 
heard a sound close by. He turned, and there, not more 
than 20 yards away, stood the subject of his thoughts, the 
black mule, contemplating him with an expression that 
indicated surprise and a mild degree of interest. 
The soul of Saunders was consumed with rage, and a 
desire for murder filled his breast. He was half-tempted 
to shoot this creature of iniquity on the spot, but that 
would be too merciful a punishment. He wanted the joy 
of inflicting bodily torture upon the beast; he wanted to 
beat him as a mule had never been beaten in the history 
of the world. 
?Ie knew from experience the futility o£ attempting to 
•capture the mule by strategy, so he picked up his load and 
continued on his way, content to bide his time. Behind 
liim came the mule, following him like a gentle lamb, and 
although this added fuel to his anger, Saunders ignored 
the insult. 
When they arrived at the cabin the mule paused and 
surveyed the place with an expression that plainly said: 
"Now where have I seen this sorry looking ranch before 
and that strange looking man? Surely 1 have seen him 
somewhere. Well, well! After all the world's pretty 
small. I'll have to te hurrying on, or I'll be late for that 
engagement," and he trotted away and soon disappeared 
from view. 
When the work of cutting up the deer had be'en coni- 
Iileted, Saunders turned his attention to the affairs of 
the absent mule. He first patched up the old barnyard 
gate and then began making preparations for the reception 
of this creature, for wWch he had suddenly become in- 
spired wnth such a deep hatred, when it returned from 
its spree. He cut and trimmed several long hickory 
sticks to be used as scourges, and then sat himself down, 
waiting impatiently for the return of the prodigal. 
Two days passed, but the mule came not. The third 
day Saunders Avent forth on a searching expedition, but 
his efforts met with no success and when day followed 
day, until a whole week had elapsed, and no mule had 
returned and no trace of him could be found, he began 
to feel worried. From worrying he gradually became 
suspicious of foul play, and then, as the mule's disappear- 
ance still remained a myster>^ his suspicions changed to 
certainty, and he determined that something must be 
done. 
It did not take him long to spread the news through 
Douglas county that his famous mule had been stolen. 
No graver charge than this could be preferred against a 
man. The epithet of horse thief carried with it all its 
traditionary opprobrium throughout that section of the 
country, therefore when the news traveled from house to 
house that such a theft had been committed, the male in- 
hajjitants in the immediate vicinity bestirred themselves 
and called upon Saunders for particulars. 
They could not understand why any one should covet 
the black mule, as not one of them would voluntarily 
assume the responsibility of ownership if the animal \yere 
offered to him as a gift; but the fact remained that the 
mule had disappeared and had not been seen for at least 
five days, so far as could be ascertained. 
"I ent a-blamin' you folks," Saunders assured them. 
"Hit's some o' them inean cusses over in Wright county, 
I reck'n. Co'se you all ent got no hand in sech a low 
daown. dirty dog trick as that. I'm goin' over that away 
an' make some trouble fer somebody, I suttenly is. Ef you 
^11 wants t' come 'long, I reck'n hitlll look more like we 
was goin' t' do somethin'." 
They all 'lowed they would go along and back up 
Saunders, and sec the thing through to a finish. The 
sentiments of the company w^ere forcibly expressed by 
one of the belligerent ones. 
"Ef that air mule ent forthcomin'," he declared 
"Wright caounty'll git a doggon good lickin', by Godfrey." 
"She suttenly will," was the unanimous verdict. 
About a dozen determined men started ottt on the ex- 
pedition, and their number had increased to twenty by the. 
time they reached the Wright county line. 
The owner of the first farm they stopped at over the 
line objected to having his premises searched. The house 
went into a connnittee of the M'hole and decided that for 
this very reason it ought to be searched, and searched 
caTcfuUy, which decision was most effectually carried 
out. 
From resenting tlie intrusion the owner became abusive, 
and finally waxed violent, so much so that' two of the 
heaviest men from Douglas county were delegated to sit 
upon him while the others continued the search unin- 
terrupted. However, nothing of an incriminating nature 
was discovered, and the irate victim of law and order — as 
represented by Saunders and company — was released, and 
the invaders went on their way. 
After they had inflicted indignities of a similar nature 
on some half-dozen of the most peacealilc inhabitants of 
Wright county, they found that they had stirred up quite 
a hornet's nest about their ears; but they were determined 
to recover the mule, and so persisted in what was fast 
becoming an undertaking fraught with danger. By this 
tune, without the slightest evidence in their favor, they 
had convinced themselves that the whole county of 
Wright. State of Missouri, was implicated in the theft 
of one black mule. You see they were only human, after 
all. 
A posse of Wright county men was quickly formed, and 
the two forces ihet and prepared to do battle. Before 
starting in with the music, Saunders and the leader of 
the Wright county contingent agreed to discuss matters. 
This did not suit several of the hot-headed ones of both 
parties, who preferred to fight first and discuss afterward, 
but wiser counsels prevailed, and Douglas county allow^ed 
Wright county one vi-eek in which to produce the mule, 
"and promised to make things interesting if said mule were 
iVot forthcoming within the specified time. Then they 
dispersed, and Saunders and his men returned home, the 
latter only half-satisfied with the result of their cam- 
paign of vengeance. 
While these events were transpiring, the cause of all 
the trouble was qiiietly munching his corn in a disused 
outbuilding on the farm of . a . certaiiv Douglasite, Sam 
iiawkms.by name, a. near neighbox of Saunders'. 
The day before the Wright county raid, as it afterward 
got to be called, Hawkins "hitched up" and with his wife 
and family of three children drove to a camp meeting sev- 
eral miles away. In his plain, ignorant, but honest 
way, Sara Hawkins wa.s an intensely religious man, and 
never missed an opportunity of adding to; his limited 
knowledge of all that pertained to "the better life." Like 
his neighbors, he was also very superstitious:. 
Now there was nothing mysterious in the disappearance 
of the mule. A party of boys decided to go camping for 
a few days. They had no means of transporting their 
(Httfit, and happening to run across Saunders' mule, "go- 
ing to and fro in the world, and walking up and down 
in it" like a certain personage of Biblical fame, Avhom 
he strongly resembled in more ways than one, they pressed 
him into service. 
The mule did not object. He was not averse to work 
SO' long as he- was not laboring on the side of right, and 
aiding in the progress of the human race. His instinct 
told him that the boys, just because they they were boys, 
were meditating something forbidden by law, and he 
gloried in lending a willing hand, so to speak, in the un- 
dertaking, regardless of consequences, or rather in the 
hope that evil consequences would result. He was good 
nature personified anci patient to the extreme during the 
trials of the next few days, and he learned that a small 
boy can give even a black mule points on a few things 
in the way of wickedness. 
Not caring to return the animal to Saunders, and 
having observed the departure of the Hawkins family, the 
boys conceived the brilliant idea of concealing him in one 
of Hawkins' outbuildings, knowing that the latter would 
not be absent long. They gave the mule a plentiful sup- 
ply of corn and water, and left it to Hawkins to explain 
the presence of the creature as best he could. The mule 
did not tmder.stand this new game, but he knew that he 
had no right to be where he was. and that was sufficient 
unto the day. . . . 
Hawkins returned late on the evening of the day of the 
raid, with .the effects of the camp meeting still strong 
upon him. After eating his supper he w^ent out to the 
barn and bedded down the horses arid took a look around 
to see that all was well. 
It was getting dusk as he returned to the house.' He 
stood outside at the door for a few moments and watched 
the stars lighting their lamps one by one in the clear sky 
overhead. The stillness of the night was almost op- 
pressive, and a vague, indefinable longing for something, 
he knew not what, took possession of him. The spirit 
of the hour laid its magic hand upon him. and inex- 
pressible thoughts passed through his brain in tumbling 
confusion, and he felt — well, he felt like praying aloud, 
only the words would not come', ' . 
Suddenly his reverie was rudely broken in upon by a 
most unwonted sound, the vibrant tones of a brazen 
voiced mule. Hawkhis was brought to earth with a 
shock. There was no mule oh his place. His stock con- 
sisted of two raw-boned quadrupeds, called horses, and a 
few "razorback" hogs, and yet the sound had seemed to 
come from one of his buildings. He could not, understand 
it, and waited impatiently for a repetition of the noise, 
nor was he kept long in suspense. 
"By Godfrey, ther' ent but one mule in Douglas caounty 
what owns sech a horn fer a voice, an' that's that mule 
o' Saunders'," he exclaimed, as the mule sent forth an- 
other challenge. "Naow whar in thunderation did that 
onery cuss come from, an' what's he up tew, anyhow?" 
As if in answer to his question there was a crash .of 
hoofs against the side of the outbuilding where the mule 
was imprisoned, and then silence. It was plain to- be 
seen what the creature was "up- tew." _ ' ^ 
Hawkins procured a lantern, and proceeded to investi- 
gate matters. He armed himself with a pilchfork. and 
on second thought summoned his wife to join him in the 
coming fray. He felt that he needed moral support of 
some kind, and Mrs. Hawkins owned a tongue that 
could do wonders when the occasion demanded. 
Together they approached the sound, which had broken 
out afresh and with renewed vigor. They located the 
building, and Mrs. Hawkins immediately assumed com- 
mand of the situation. 
"Hawkins," she demanded in tones that brooked . no 
trifling, "haow'd that mule git in that old smoke haouse 
thar? That's what I wanter know." 
"Haow'n blazes do I know?" her puzzled spouse made 
answer. "I didn't put him in thar, an' I couldn't a-done 
hit ef I'd a-wanted tew, an' I want a-wantin' tew, y'kin 
betcher sweet life on that." 
"Why don't yo' let him aout, then ?" she asked. 
" 'Caouse. womun. I take more stock in livin' some 
longer than I does in rcstorin' that mule o' Saunders t' 
libertj'-," .said Hawkins, with decision. "T reck'n the 
door'll hold till mawnin'. an' then Eb kin come an' git 
the onery critter, by Godfrey," 
"Eb'fi bin lookin' fer that mule o" hisn the hull blessed 
week." Mr,s. Hawkins volunteered. 
"S'posen' he has. I ent t' blame. He ent bin in tliar 
a hull week, he suttenly ent. 'cause th*' wouldn't be 
nuthin' left o' that air shantj' ef he had bin. Why. by 
Godfrey, I wouldn't take the doggon critter fer a gift. 
He's got seven devtils in him, he has. I don't know haow 
he got in thar, but ! ent a-goin' t' turn, him loose t' -night. 
We mought's well go back t' the haouse an' go t' bed." 
He suited the action to the w'ords, and his wife re- 
luctantly followed. She was not content with his ex- 
planation, or rather the lack of it, and her curiosity de- 
manded satisfaction. 
The mule kept them awake the greater part of the 
night, and they discussed the question between brays, hut 
the more they discussed the more remote became the solu- 
tion to the problem. Along toward morning the mule 
quieted down, and the w^eary twain fell asleep. 
They were aroused at daybreak by a loud pounding at 
the door. Hawkins awoke with a start, thinking that 
the mule was attacking the house, and sprang out of bed. 
He paused not to dress, but seizing the pitchfork, started 
for the door, determined to have it out with the black 
demon. He threw op&n the door, and with a wild yell 
lunged bhndly at where he supposed the mule would be 
standing, and came very near thrusting a man through 
instead of a mule. . . ; 
The rnan, who was merely an early caller and innocent 
of any evil intent, sprang b.ack ■ j ust in time, and then 
turned arid fled precipitately. He leaped upon his horse, 
which he had lett standmg at the gate, and beat a hasty 
retreat. In response to Hawkins' loud appeals to "Come 
back, doggon it. I took y' fer a mule," he only urged on 
his horse the more. 
When he had placed a safe distance between himself 
and the seemingly violent Hawkins, he drew rein and 
produced a flask of something from his pocket and took a 
long pull. This appeared to have the desired effect. 
"VVhew!" he ejaculated, drawing a deep breath. 
"That's baout the closest ever. Hawkins is gone plum 
crazy. Religion, mos' likely." 
With this single comment on the affair, he continued on 
his way. He had not gone far when, at a turn in the 
road, he came face to face with another man, a pedestrian, 
hurrying along from the opposite direction. 
"Saunders, by jimminetty,"' the rider exclaimed under 
his breath. . , . 
At sight of the man on horseback, Saunders, for it 
was he, stopped short and planted himself in the middle 
of the road. 
"Hi ganny, what'n thunder be yott all a-doin' 'raound 
yere?" he demanded. 
"None o' your dern bizness," the other retorted. "But 
I don't mind tellin' you all that I'm doin' a leetle detective 
work consarnin' a mule." 
"You all led that Wright county bunch o' galoots yes- 
tiday, didn't yuh?" 
"An' you all led them crazy Douglas caounty mule 
hunters, ef I ent mistook?" 
They glared at each other in silence for a moment.' 
"I mos' fofgot," the Wright county man suddenly ex- 
claimed. "Ther's somethin' more important than mules 
•on tap. Sam Hawkins is gone plum crazy." 
"Y' don't say? Who done told yuh?" Saunders in- 
quired. 
"He come near doin' fer me, doggon ef he didn't," the 
other replied, and then he related his experience of a 
short time before. 
Saunders imtnediately dropped his hostile attitude. 
"Reck'n the mule kin wait," said he. "Let's go back 
thar an' see what's up." ' 
Hawkins was standing at his gate, unarmed and peace- 
able looking, as though expecting them. The tw^o men 
advanced cautiously, watching his every movement. 
"You all needn't be afeered o' nuthin'," he called out 
reassuringly. "Ther' ent nuthin' the matter uv me." 
"What'd yo' go fer this yere man with a fork fer, 
then?" Saunders inquired from a safe distance. 
"Hit want him I was arter," Hawkins replied, and 
then paused, hesitating. Of course he would tell Saun- 
ders about the mule, but he preferred to do so when no 
one else was present. 
"Who was it then?" asked the Wright county "man, 
doubtingl}^ "Ef 'twant me, hit looked that away a heap.|' 
"Hit 'twant no 'who,' leastways 'twant no man," 
Hawkins began, when an interruption occurred that 
caused him to pause again, abruptly, and look guiltily 
from one to the other. 
Floating out upon the clear morning air a burst of 
sound rent the stillness around thern. There was no 
mistaking its origin. 
"Sam Hawkins, Avhat's the meanin' o' this yere?" Saun- 
ders demanded, striding forward. The Wright county 
man dismounted and stepped up beside Saunders. 
"Ther' ent nuthin' wrong 'baout hit, Eb," Hawkins 
pleaded. "Don't you all go an'_ git riled at me afore 
i'ou've done heerd the hull story," and then he, told them 
all he knew concerning the mule's presence in the old 
smoke house. 
Saunders was inclined to believe him, but the Wright 
county man was plainty and undisguisedly skeptical. 
"Hit don't splain haow the mule come t' be thar," he 
declared, emphatically. "An' considerin' the rumpus you 
all made 'baout that miile hit's got t' be splained, by 
jimminy crickets." . , 
And then Saunders had an inspiration. 
"What'n blazes was you all a-doin' 'raound Sam's place 
so early in the mawnin' ?" he inquired, turning, suddenly 
upon the Wright county man. "Hi ganny, I reck'n that'll 
hev t' be splained, tew." 
"I was huntin' fer the mule, aii' hit seems I want, far 
aout the way," he answ^ered, bristling up. "You all don't 
reck'n I put him thar, does yuh?" 
"Hit looks that away," Saunders declared, 
"Hit suttenly do," Hawkins agreed, grasping at this 
fortunate turn in events. 
Things immediately warmed up at this bold charge 
of the Douglas county men, and trouble was in the air. 
There is no telling where the affair would have ended,_ if 
the mule had not come to the rescue with another in- 
terruption. 
The repeated assaults on the door of his prison had at 
last produced the desired effect and down it came with a 
crash, and the mule trotted forth to freedom. The mad 
furies had possession of him, and he glared around for 
something upon w^hich to vent his outraged feelings. His 
flashing eye caught sight of the horse of the Wright 
county man, and in another moment ■ he was over the 
fence and giving that astonished beast a lesson in the 
gentle art of, kicking as practiced by himself. 
This created a fortunate diversion, and by the time 
the mifle had been put to rout and quiet had been restored 
the men were better fitted to argue the subject of con- 
tention. They finally agreed to meet with their respective 
followers on the county line the next day, and allow the 
question to be decided by a jupy of six men, three from 
each county. 
The courts have no record of this trial, although it came 
oft" at the appointed time and place. The jury could not 
agree, and as everybody concerned proved an alibi, after 
several hours of bickering the case stood where it did at 
the beginning. ■ 
As the only way out of the dilemma, a justice of the 
peace from Webster country; who had come along to see 
the fun, was finally appointed as judge to decide the whole 
case, and place the penalty where it belonged. 
He disposed of the case in short order. 
"The trouble is," said h". "ther's too many doggon 
plaintiffs and defendants mixed up in this yere case. It 
strikes the court that two's a-plenty. It's now up to Eb 
Saunders an' Sam Hawkins. Hawkins had the stolen 
