OCR Text |
Show MULE AUT1LLERY. Out in a certain western foitsonie time ago a major conceived the idea that artillery might be used effectively in fighting with tho Indiaus, by dispensing dis-pensing with gun carriages, aud listening listen-ing the cannon upon the backs of mules. So ho explained hia views lo tho oommnndaut, and it was determined deter-mined to try tho experiment. A howitzer was selected and strapped upon au ambulance mule, with the muzzle pointed toward the tail. When they had secured the gun, and loaded it with ball cartridge, they led that, calm and steadfast mule o-1 on the bluff, and set up a target iu the middle of tho river, to practice at. The rear of tho mule was turned toward the target, and be was backed gently up to the edge of the bluff. The officers stood arouud in a semi-circle, while the mnjor went up and inserted a timefuse time-fuse in the touch-hole of the howitzer. When tho fuso was ready, the major lit it and retired. In a second or two the hitherto unrutllcd mule heard the fizzing hack there ou his back, aud it made him uneasy, un-easy, lie reached his head around to ascertain what was going on, and as he did so, his body turned and the howitzer howit-zer began to sweep around the horizon. The mule at last became excited, and curiosity became more and more intense and in a second or two he was standing with his four legs in a bunch, making six revolutions a minute, and the how-ilzer how-ilzer threatening sudden death to every man within hall' a mile. The commandant com-mandant was observed to climb suddenly sud-denly up a tree the lieutenants were seen sliding over the bluff into tho river, as if they didn't care at all about the high price of uniforms ibe adjutant adju-tant made good time toward the fort the sergeant began to throw up breastworks breast-works with bis bayonet, and the msjor rolled over the ground and groaned. In two or three minutes there was a puff" of smoke, a dull thud, and the mule oh! where was he? A solitary jackass might have been seen turning successive back-somersaults over tke bluff, only to rest at anchor, finally, with his howitzer at the bottom of the river, while the ball wont off toward tho fort, hit the chimney in tho major's ma-jor's quarters, rattled tho adobe bricks down into the parlor, and frightened the major's wife into convulsions. They do not allude to it now, and no report of the results of the experiment was ever sent to the war department. |