THE MULE AND THE MAGNET.

North Otago Times, Volume XXXV, Issue 979, 19 November 1901, Page 1

THE MULE AND THE MAGNET.

tpOLORAbp YARN, ■]> L Julf-dozon or moro inen, j«« seatlS!, Btcraad the stove id the cotnbibuUon bar-; room aod-offtro »f the Troyollora' Kcat, tho : leadlng hostolry of McGrawvillo, when Sam Putting, the hitok driver,'made's'remark. " I seen a tack hammer to day," '; ho;. said,' "that didn't only drive thoiavks,but picked 'em up nod hold 'em to be drove." '■■'.-■■■ " Huh, that's only one of them rosggotlsod tack hammera/'Bcotnfullycommenttid Oyrua Brawn, the conl dealer. "Ton o'ri : buy nil you wantfcrf-ixpeucc apiece, and a box .of • tacks thrown,in; I '. , : .-..,■ : .--.■"■ of tack hammere," said a.guest of tho tavern, and a etianger in town, 'reminds me ef a magnet I came boron not long ago whon Iwas prospecting in Colorado." : ' Tho regular' ntuff of; stovo siii roundera pulled themsolyes together.ahd straightened up iu thoir chairs to hear what tho' stranger had tonay. '■':'%'■■ '■ " As I was saying," ho said, *' wlien I ,was prospecting in Colorado not long ago I 'dis-'i covered amagnet, or rather I BEaistcd in its' discovery, that would bo a fortune to»man if ho had it where he could utilize its possibilities. My partner and I started out from Denver with n mule load of provisions and

1 tools; and with our minds mailo up to find a : foilune orlet the mulodio in tho attompt. j Wo struck olf to the north-west, without-any v particular place iu view, bocausa a miner j never khowß whota the luck is going to atiiko him, and iu tlm course of a week we wore in a [ait of tho mountains iihero the foot of man or mule had never trod, as far as there wis any signs showing, hut our fortune appeared to ho write as faraway iib ever. We ktpt going just the tame, because tlmt is all there is to du when a man is piospccting, aud one day,, after wc had been cut for a month, we lott our bearings. I didn't know where we were, and my partner didn't, and as liko a 8 not tho mule didn't, but wo had hoard plenty of stones about animal ießlinct. and the cat coming back, so wo concluded to leave it to tlm mule and sen if lie could pilot u* lo seme point or other that we knor?. "Thero wasn't much to do but to give him iiis head and lit him go,,and this wo did ou very short notico, and whcieas wo had been directing the beast we now let him him diiect us. Whether ho knew his responsibility or not, I am not saying, but for two days he led out as if he know whore he was going. As that was a goed dealmoie than we know, we didn't iotoifero, apd thoniulo kept leuockiue along in the direction of s'emewhore to us unknewu. On the morriing of the third day our plans wore disagreeably disarranged by the disappesrauco. of our ■leader.",

" Ho had set loose Bomohow in the night, and had waudored oil, lcaviog bis load for us to cawy, or to cacho where wo were never to lind it again. But no weio not goiog to pive liira up withoutßomu kind of droit, to rostoio him to his usefulness, so wo went hunting lor Iho animal inslciid of hunting! for nur way out of tlmnildii, aiid wo ditidwl up his load and took : it along with us, The count rj was not quifcj so ruup.ti us it had been, und wu got along pietty well, though wo did not make rpcerd time. We kept track of llin animal by following thn'oponost ituy, l>y watching for his slice murks over the ilone?, and s by noting wheto ho had nipped-.off a bit of green sis lie went along or scraped his hair olf against a bush or a boulder. "" The nest day of our huntwo cams to a good-nized valley shoningssme gras3 growth, Kiid wo knew rijbt away Hint tho mule, being a sensible animal, was going to bo found whaio I hero was grazing, ao we redoubled our.' nil'erts Tho hunt had continued a week through a succession of theso little vallojs, where with enr loads wo oonld only make ten cr twelve niilcs a day, when eno morning ire spied the beast, about half a mile ahead 'if us, -appaij'Jntly, Btanding on apiece t)i'<fa--ing grmud surveying the'landscape, • Ho looked like a statuo from where wo saw him, but wo were not in an artistic humour, and, not stopping to admire the statuary effect of the niulf, we dropped our loads right there and Blurted for trim.

11 He saw us as we approached,.and whin uK.J and slumod all sortß of signs of joy, but lin didn't inoto a peg. Ho just stood rooted to tlio spot, os it were, and kept whinnying. We thought it rather strange tho way he acted, but we kept coining till we get within fifty fctt of him, when we noticed that tin linngghundnn which he stood w»3 in reality a huge black stone standing up (rem the ground to about three fiet at highest point, "As soon as we struck the stone, going ts the. mule, wo found that it was all wo could do to lift our feet up, and we hadn't gone mure than three or four steps till we faiily stunk to tho stone. We theught wo wore piralysed at first, and were scared half to ilirith, but in my tfforta to walk I piilloil ono of ray feot out of its shoe, nud»wh»o Iput thiit foot down one the stoot I fsuud I could use it all right, •' I'lipn wo toik oi! our shoes, my partner, who was eomidetablo d a scientific man, MipgrMJng tint the sttni must be magnetic and tns acting on the steal pegs in our soles and heck 'i'ho mule in the meantime was jrctlT nearly in a Rt, and we knew norr that •hit csuldu't got away becauseihomagnotio stone was holding him fast by tho heavy strel iliorn he wore for rnonntain travel. We could mc that by suporliuinan effort ho could rajst one foot frem tho stone, but it w»s beyond his strength to get more thanene loose at a lime, and he had tried t» walk until his fore f*;t mro so far from hie hind feet that be wes' sway backed' He bad evidently been a prisoner until be was half-starved and famiahwl, and we did not wonder that ho was glad toiico lis,

" Of conrec, (ho flißl thing lor ub to do was to get liiui o(I thentooe, and we began by (tying to pry him loose, but as fait as we get oiio loot freo nod tackled another ono the iDiiynct would pull tho free ono back again, and tlio best ire could do wai ta got his forefoot, nearer tho hind ones and reliero the strain on Iris spinal column. " We tried to roll him over on his back, but he couldn't Hi down, aid ire had to give that up, too. Then we determined to take off, liis theca, und, going bade after.onr axe, we started in with that, but the magnet dragged it out of our hands and held it so fait we' broke the handle trying to get it 10688. Btouea irere the only tools we could ait, awl after an hour's work with them we (ret tho ehota off and the. mule was free. , By zucfts, Rontfemen, tho Joy of that dumb animal when ho found he ciold walk and had a chance t« get at giau actd water waa enough to bring teats to eyei unused, to weep." , .... ■ The hack driror sniffled, but he apologised by laying ho had hod a cold in'bis .head, '■ Wo gate the beast a da/to Ml up, and get some of his strength back," continued the stranger,. " and pulling the pack once icoie on his back we proeeeded on our couibc, tho mule mailing.tuobeft timelevor Baw a ,mulo make, Sfo, bollovod we had found something greater than a cold mine, and intended to come bnok-tnd develop our, End. ; : ' "We had a long, bard trip before us, bnt wogotiut at last aud rosohed Deurcria good shape, all thipgß considered. : Interest; ingsomo scientltio and moneyed people iu onrdiscevery.we'brgamaed another party and went back to find .the magnof, butita location eicaped .ui, aa is often the case with mines io that vast region, and do what we j could we would not relocate It." ; '■ lV ! ; The stranger stopped as if be had readied the end of his stery. .-'/■■...,. >■■. " Why in thunder didn't you let tKo mule lead|the party.?", asked the hack driver, iu '»state ef luppressed excitement. •;'.' - > ■; The stranger looked'at f him more in-pity; than in anger;.- v.. u? : MiXx'; :^f '■■'','■ :: ■ '.' Whydidn't we;." hi replied, -'.we.'diil, 0 - but aa soon as the mulo.was hsaded in that' direction and gbt his bearings lio turned! fail' and started.east oni,.».dead run,land wehaVen't aeon him nnce;;' ; :H«te'any of iyou ie«n a eUabgo mule in thii nolglibouthoorj ? I'm hereon niySay;to thei.-Atlantic: Ocean looking lW him." ■•iCA& , -U" : J-' ) 'H ;; '"'i ! :Perldni;;Bnd|-o;y>f»^