"I didn't believe we ever should start," said Chris, one morning at
daybreak.
"But you were wrong," said Ned, "and here's good-bye to the old place."
It was a month later, during which time the journey had been made to the
nearest town, the stores and other necessaries purchased, and after
preparations which had lasted till midnight, every one had declared that
there was nothing else to be done, and all had lain down to sleep,
Griggs included, he having decided to stay at the ranch for the last
night, after bringing over his baggage and animals, and he had by a
gruesome kind of choice elected to sleep in the long shed.
"Where the poor old adventurer was put," he said, "and that will make me
dream about him and perhaps have some happy thoughts about the best way
to go."
There were not many farewells to bid, for the settlers at the nearest
plantations were scattered widely about the district, and all for the
most part too much worried about their own disappointments to pay much
heed to a few neighbours who were giving up and going to try their
fortune elsewhere, and for the most part were ready to sneer at the
restless folk who were going prospecting where, according to their own
ideas, they were not likely to do half so well.
Hence it was that as soon as it was light, and while Griggs with a
hammer and spikes was nailing up the last windows and the door, for
which pieces of board cut to the exact size lay ready, there was not a
stranger there to see them off.
It was a busy time. They had all breakfasted by the light of the
out-door fire which had boiled their coffee, cooked their damper, and
frizzled their bacon, and now were all hard at work loading the dozen
mules that had been purchased for the purpose of carrying their baggage,
and in whose management every one had taken lessons from an old
mule-driver who had made many journeys into the Far West.
For there was much to learn. "Obstinate as a mule" is a good old
proverb, and the party had plenty of reason for learning its truth.
They had heard too of the vicious nature of these same animals. They
were used as beasts of burden, and they seemed to have made up their
minds to be a burden to every one there. The old Yankee, who had made
many a journey with mule teams, had taught them, and taught them well,
all he could about the mysteries of lasso and lariat, and the
diamond-hitch; but even after a fortnight's practice it was not easy to
bind the loads well-balanced upon each mule's back without getting
kicked, and when this was done, the mules having been disappointed at
not being able to kick anybody, mostly made desperate attempts to kick
at nothing, the result of which was the loosening of the ropes so that
the loads rattled and in one case went flying.
This load had been tied on by the boys, who stood looking at one another
and then at the mule, which, as soon as it was free, gave its ears a few
twinkles, shook its shabby tail, and then began to graze quite
contentedly on some alfalfa grass, or lucerne.
"Come, boys, don't stand looking on," cried the doctor. "Try again, or
we shall be waiting for you. You must put your feet against the brute's
side and haul tight, as you were taught."
"We did, sir," cried Ned, who was hot and angry.
"Not tight enough, my lad. You'll soon do it better."
"Not with this one, father. It's such a beast."
"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."
"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 loudly, and as if you were in a
rage. Then he laughed, and told me what to do."
"What was that?" said Chris, rather breathlessly, for he was busy
arranging the mule's load.
"He said I was to stamp and yell, and begin to decline a Latin noun to
the mules."
"Oh, bother the Latin nouns!" said Chris pettishly. "Who's to think of
cases when you're driving a mule? Here, come on and help. And I say, I
nearly forgot."
"Forgot what? I dare say we've forgotten lots of things."
"But we mustn't forget this. We're loading the leading mule, and it's
the one that wears that bell round its neck. Where is it?"
"The bell? Last time I saw it was when father hung it on one of the
gun-pegs over the fire-place."
"Oh!" exclaimed Chris, "and old Griggs is just finishing nailing up the
door."
"Then he'll have to un-nail it again," said Ned grumpily. "Hi, Griggs!"
There were two or three echoing raps with the hammer, and then a couple
of finishing blows, before the American cried--
"Hallo, there!"
"You're nailing up the mule's bell."
"Who says so?" and there was the commencement of the driving in of
another nail.
"I do," cried Ned. "You must open the door again."
_Rap, rap, rap, rap, bang, bang, bang_, as another nail went home.
"Can't be done."
"But we must have that strap and bell."
"Come and fetch it then. It's hanging on the hitching-up hook at the
end of the house."
"Oh!" sighed Ned in a voice full of relief, and he ran to the place
specified, to lift down the bell and the collar-strap, to come back
ringing it loudly.
"Hoi! Hallo, there! Steady!" cried Wilton excitedly. "Don't do that."
Ned gagged the bell at once by thrusting his left hand in its mouth and
holding the clapper; but the little peal he had rung had done its work
of setting all the mules in motion, bringing them all up close to the
ringer, who found himself in the midst of a knot of squealing and
kicking brutes, who diversified their vicious play by running
open-mouthed at one another to bite.
But they were all loaded at length, there was a final look round, and
then a move was made for the long shed, whose big door gaped wide, and
as their footsteps were heard there was a shrill neigh from within and
the sound of impatient stamping.
"This looks like a start at last, doctor," said Griggs, who came up
last.
"Yes, at last," said the doctor.
"Got the map all right, sir?"
"Yes, in my saddle-bag. You said you had done everything that fell to
your share."
"Everything but locking up this door, sir, and here are the keys," cried
the American, holding up a leather bag, in which he jingled the hammer
and a few of the big nails within.
"That's right," cried the doctor. "Now then," he shouted, "every one
tighten his mustang's girths a hole or two, and sling his rifle across
his back before mounting. Got your revolvers, boys?"
"Yes, father--yes, sir!" came in response, and the next minute
half-a-dozen rough-looking wiry cobs were being unhitched and led out
through the low doorway, to stand champing their big bits, fidgeting to
be mounted and given their heads for a canter.
"Every one see that his bag and blanket are all right," cried the
doctor; and then Griggs' voice was heard.
"Some one take my nag's rein," he said. "Will you, Squire Chris?"
For answer the boy reached out and took hold of the strap, casting his
eye over the sturdy little steed, which seemed too small to carry so
tall a man as its rider.
Chris noted that there was the long hide lasso-rope curled up and
hanging in its place by the saddle-bow, and that the saddle-bags were in
their places, carefully strapped on, so that a tin bucket, which was
also hung behind, should rest on one and not prove a nuisance to horse
or rider.