xed
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."

"Yes, I saw the brute grin," said Ned.

"Well, just you wait. I'm going to save up this fellow's dose, and he
shall have it some day with interest."

"He told me," said Ned, "that you couldn't drive mules without using bad
language. He did--lots."

"Yes, I heard him," said Chris.

"I told my father, and he was angry and said it was all nonsense. All
you had to do was to shout at the brutes