compliment, by essaying to kick his late rider anywhere, though without
success. It might have been imagined, to see the artful feints and
moves, that the mule was endowed with human reason. Tom was more than a
match for him at last, though, for, slipping off his jacket, he threw it
over the mule's head and held it there, confusing the poor beast, so
that it could not avoid a couple of heartily given kicks in the ribs;
and before it could recover from its surprise Tom was once more seated
upon its back in triumph.

"I can stand a wonderful sight of kicking off, Mas'r Harry, I can tell
you! I ain't bet yet! Co-o-me on, will you!"

Apparently cowed, now that the jacket was removed, the mule journeyed on
very peaceably, till leaving the plain we began to ascend a precipitous
mountain-side, the track each moment growing more and more sterile,--if
it were possible--grand, and at the same time dangerous. And now it was
that we began to see the qualities of the mules in the cautious way they
picked their steps, feeling each loose piece of path before trusting
their weight to it, and doing much towards removing a strange sensation
of tremor evoked by the fact that we were progressing along a shelf of
rugged rock some two feet wide--the scarped mountain-side upon our
right, a vast precipice on the left.

More than once I was for getting down to walk, but the guide dissuaded
me, as he declared that it was far better to trust to the mules, who
were never known to slip.

A couple of miles of such travelling served to somewhat reassure me--
familiarity with danger breeding contempt; and I called out to Tom:

"I hope your beast won't bear malice, Tom, for this would be an awkward
place for him to try his capers."

I said so thoughtlessly, just at a time when we were descending; Tom's
beast, which was before me, walking along with the most rigorous care as
to where he set his feet.

"Oh! I say, don't, Mas'r Harry," whined Tom, "don't! It's no joke, you
know, and this mule understands every word you say--leastwise he might,
you know. I ain't afraid, only he might--"

Tom's sentence was not finished; for, in fact, just as if every word I
had uttered had been comprehended, down went the beast's head, his heels
were elevated, and the next moment, to my horror, poor Tom was over the
side of the path, and rolling swiftly down to apparent destruction.

He was brought up, though, the next moment by the reins, which he
tightl