Immediately upon this discovery, Jim broke into a fiercer gait than ever after the fugitives, shouting in his tremendous style—
“Drop dat hoss, I tell you! drop that hoss, or I’ll make you!”
Inasmuch as it was hardly possible for the marauder to hold up one of the equine specimens, if he choose to tumble, it was not exactly clear how he was to obey this command. On the contrary, the animals, including the mule, (which, having once got up a loping trot, didn’t exactly comprehend how to stop it,) increased their speed, and the indescribable whirring howl with which he accomplished it, reached the ears of the exasperated pursuer.
“O, if I only had a gun!” he muttered, as he jogged along, “wouldn’t I pepper dem legs for him!”
At this juncture, the ground assumed a rougher character, and the animals were compelled to deviate to the left to pass a canon, where the waters raged with such fury, that the shrewd Mohave did not attempt to force them into it. Observing this, Jim took the hypotenuse of the triangle, and went sailing down the course in magnificent style, gaining so rapidly, that he gave utterance to a joyous shout.
“Cl’ar de track! or I’ll run ober you! I’s comin’!”
This startling intelligence did not have the effect expected and the copper-colored gentleman evidently concluded that all was not lost, for he still maintained his position between the two horses, and, just then, striking a fording place, he tumbled them turbulently in, and, scrambling up the opposite side, renewed the flight in the same admirable fashion.
“Dat ’ere beats all natur’!” he exclaimed in absolute amazement, as he witnessed the exploit. “Whoeber dreamed dare was so much go in dat mule?”
The chase by this time had become interesting; but, if the Mohave had displayed some natural smartness in stampeding the animals, he now found himself at fault so far as regarded the mule; for this character, as he rattled down the canon with a noise like the charge of cavalry, lost his unnatural gait, and, finding himself back into his natural one, it was impossible to change it under a furlong, seeing which, the charging body dashed forward with such a burst of speed, that the Mohave and his body-guard were compelled to leave him behind. Five minutes later, Jim vaulted like an avalanche upon the saw-like back of the mule.
“Now, ole fellow,” said he, addressing the beast most affectionately, “show ’em what you can do.”