But the animal never stirred. The old fellow stood up and larruped him with the lines, but he just sort of humped his back and laid down his ears and took root. Then The Man and his folks got there. One of them set out to grab the mule. The mule turned and looked him right in the face, and then something happened. You never saw an engine explode, I’ll bet you. Neither did I, but that’s the nearest I can imagine to what that mule did. He just naturally up and exploded. First he opened his mouth and let out a holler that was enough to raise the dead, and then he lashed out with all four feet and his tail, and tried to bite with his teeth. You can bet those Japanese backed off a little. The old fellow didn’t seem to mind a bit. He just spread his legs so the mule could kick free and waited. All at once the mule quit kicking and started off straight ahead.
“The lever’s in high,” yelled the old fellow.
This time I guess the mule knew right where the lever was, for the way he got out of there was a caution. If he wasn’t doing forty miles an hour then I don’t want a cent. The Japanese tried to stop him, but he nipped one on the arm and came pretty close to running right over the top of another. Whee! but they scattered.
The old fellow turned around and sort of waved his hand at us. Then he put his thumb to his nose and wiggled his fingers at the Japanese. That was the last we saw of him, for the mule yanked him around a clump of trees and out of sight.
I looked at Mark and grinned, and Mark looked at me.
“Well?” says he.
“Same here,” says I.
“It’ll mean quick trouble f-f-for us,” says he. “The Japs’ll be afraid he’ll go after h-help.”
“Not him,” says I. “Bet he don’t know enough. Seems like he was sort of crazy or somethin’.”
Mark shook his head. “You n-never can tell,” says he.