Rensselaer Republican, Volume 23, Number 44, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 2 July 1891 — CURE FOR A BALKY MULE. [ARTICLE]

CURE FOR A BALKY MULE.

Bill “Chewed His Ear,” and the Rebels Were Outdistanced. N. Y. Times. Several veterans of the war of the rebellion were telling of their experience. One related the following amusing incident: “Our” regiment was in chmp at Harper’s Ferry, and one day a comrade and I secured permission to pay a visit to a farm house some distance away where we knew there was poultry. We rode horses opd had some money in our pockets to purchase what chickens and turkeys we desiredj for on this occasion we had made up our minds to forego foraging, but later on circumstances arose that quickly made us forget our good resolution. A short distance from the farm house was a grass field into which we turned our horses to graze at will. We then proceeded to the residence on foot, and met the farmer on an old-fash-ioned porch that ran the whole front 6f the quaint farm-house. I told him we had come to barter for some chickens and turkeys. This proposition seemed to fire his southern blood. He swore he’d rather see every fowl on his premises rot before he would sell them to any Yankee for one hundred times their weight in gold. That settled it with us. Our Noithern blood haff reached as high a boiling point as that of the old Southerner. •We could not stand such an and went straightway

to the barn, where a fine lot of fowl? wer&pecidng grain.•‘lt did not take us long to tie-the legs of a goodly number of chickens and turkeys. As I was in the act ol tying up the legs of a proud gobbler I looked up, and to my dismay saw coming up the lane a small company of rebel cavalry. I took in the situation at a glance. I knew we had not time to reach our horses, and to escape on foot was impossible. In the barn yard were two sleek mules. Throwing my string of poultry over the back of one and jumping astride the animal, I shouted to Bill —that was the first name of my comrade —to follow my example. He did so and I took the lead for the camp. The mule I was on had taken but a few-jumps when I heard Bill shout : ‘“Great thunder! He has balked, Jim.’ “Hooked around, and sure enough the mule had balked. The Johnnies were close at hand, and I shouted: ‘Crawl on his neck, Bill, and chew his ear.’ ‘ ‘Bill lost no time in trying the experimCnt. He got the end of one of the animals long ears into his mouth and bevan operations. The mule gave a squeal like that of a stucking and rushed after its mate, which I was riding on, for dear life. Suddenly I saw something loom up and rush past me. It was Bill and his mule. Bill’s teeth were imbedded in the animal’s ear, and blood trickled down the side of its head. Bill was humped. up on the back of his mad steed and presented a most ludicrous sight The turkeys flapped their wings and the chickens made a terrible clatter, which only served to make -the mule go faster. I heard the Johnnies behind us langfa. They fired at us, but we were not hit. I am sure they could not have hit Bill, for he was being carried along at great speed. “Through the picket line of onr regiment and on through the camp went Bill’s mule, the poultry bobbing up and down at every jump. As •soon as I knew we were but of the reach of the enemy I gathered all my lung power and shouted: “ ‘Let go the mule’s ear, Bill, we’re safe.’ “Bill heard me and let go. He finally succeeded in stopping the mule, whose sides went in and out like a big bellows An examination showed that bill had ehewed over half the mules ear off. Bill allowed it was the toughest bit of meat be ever tackled, but that night he got square on roast turkey and chicken. We lost two of the best horses in our camp.”