A WEIGHTY TALE

Many an old Army man still remembers the horses and pack mules from his days at a western Army post and an old-timer we know tells the following tale from those days:

Sarge recalls the day he was called into his company commander's office and asked to explain why he let one of the mules in his packtrain drown while crossing a river. Sarge explained that the current was swift and that the river had been swollen by a recent rain. To that his hardbitten CO responded, "...that wasn't the only reason." He held out a report of lost property. On it the supply seargeant had indicated that the mule had been carrying four sets of harness, 15 shovels, 10 picks, four tents (with poles), five rifles, six bayonets, a camp stove, 10 uniforms, and two pack howitzers.

Sarge could only reply, "No wonder that damn mule drowned, Sir!"

--LTC Robert A. Weaver, Jr