vigour.
The mule was now helplessly fixed, with its tongue hanging out and its
eyes protruding. Nevertheless, in that condition it continued, without
ceasing, to struggle and try to kick, and flatten its ears. It was a
magnificent exhibition of determination to resist to the very death!--a
glorious quality when exercised in a good cause, thought I--my mind
reverting to patriots and martyrs.

Meanwhile Harry had passed the broad band under the mule, drawn it over
its back, and attached the big hook to it. The signal was given to the
men who managed the tackle on deck, and the animal bounded into empty
space.

It was at that moment I made the discovery that a mule's spirit resides
in its legs. Its last act on earth, before leaving, was to deliver a
concentrated double-kick at the barrier, but the instant it found itself
in air its flattened ears sprung up with an air of horrified
astonishment, and all its legs hung straight and rigid, the four hoofs
coming together as if in abject supplication to any one, or anything,
that could deliver. Not the smallest effort did it make; not a trace of
self-will did it display, while it shot upwards through the hatchway
nearly to the yard-arm, whence it obtained its first bird's-eye view of
Capetown docks. For one moment it hung, while it was being swung over
the quay, whither it was lowered, and its feet once more came in contact
with mother-earth. Then, but not till then, did the disease of its
limbs depart, and the spirit of its ears and heels return. With a bound
it sprang into the air, but, before it had time to think, a human enemy
caught its rope, and drew its head tight to an iron post. Another such
enemy cast off the broad band and tackle, and the creature was suddenly
let go free. Its final act was to flourish its heels in the air, and
utter a squeal of rage as it trotted into the midst of a group of its
kindred which had already been treated in the same way.

------------------------------------------------------------------------

A spirited literary commencement--the publication of newspapers--under
men of great ability and high principle, bade fair to inaugurate an era
of progress that might have quickly led the colony to a far greater
height of moral, mental, and, by consequence, physical prosperity than
it has ever yet attained; but a long struggle for freedom of the press
followed, and in 1828 this freedom was secured. The sparkling streams
thus set fre