“They all are, my boy,” said the doctor, laughing at his son’s perplexed countenance.
“I mean such a wretch, father. It’s so artful. When you’ve got the load on all right and balanced, and there’s nothing to do but tighten the lariat, the nasty, spiteful, cunning brute waits till you begin to haul tight, and then fills itself full of wind and swells itself out. Then you pull till all is as tight as tight, and fasten off the knots.”
“Well, that’s right,” said the doctor, who looked, like the rest, wonderfully business-like and ready for the journey, in leather Norfolk jacket, knickerbockers, and cowboy’s hat.
“Yes, so we thought, sir,” said Ned, “till I heard the brute sigh.”
“Oh, poor thing, it was because it had such a heavy load.”
“No, it wasn’t, father; it was because it was breathing out all the wind again, and we didn’t know what it meant till we found that the load was all loose, and when we went up to tighten it the wretch wheeled round and tried to kick us, and because it couldn’t it kicked itself out of its load.”
“Never mind, don’t waste time, Chris. I want to start. We’ll halt somewhere at mid-day for a rest, and set things right. After a few days’ practice we shall get on better, and all these things will come easy.”
“I hope they will,” said Chris, as the doctor went off to where the carefully-folded tent and its poles and stretchers were being secured to another of the dozen mules which formed their team. “But look here, Ned, old chap, I’m not going to get in a passion now; I’m going to save it up, and before long I’m going to show this gentleman which of us two is going to be master.”
“Oh, nonsense! My father said that we were to break the mules in with gentle treatment. They are obstinate, he said, because they’ve become so used to being beaten.”
“Old Dence told me that kindness is thrown away upon a mule. He said you must let go at ’em with your tongue and a good thick stick; but if when you’re using it you see one lay its ears down flat and draw its lips away from its teeth and laugh, it’s because you don’t hit hard enough. Well, this one did.”