s excepting goats and sheep. Certain kinds of desert travel is
impossible without them, and some sorts of high rough mountaineering is
practicable only with their aid. At times you will be driven to the use
of them. In such an emergency gird your soul with patience, and try to
buy big ones.

[Sidenote: Pack Mules]

Pack mules are almost impossible to get, and are generally very high
priced. A good pack mule does not mean any old mule that comes along.
The animal should be rather small, chunkily built, gentle as to the
heels and teeth, accustomed to carrying and taking care of a pack,
trained to follow the saddle horses, and not inclined to stray from
camp. Such perfection costs anywhere from seventy-five to one hundred
and fifty dollars. It is worth the price to one who does much packing;
but as perfectly adequate pack horses can be had for from twenty to
forty dollars, and are easy to find, you will in all likelihood choose
them.

[Sidenote: Choosing a Horse]

Now I know perfectly well that I can tell you nothing about choosing a
horse. If you are a New Englander you will know all about the trade; if
you are a New Yorker, you could give me points on every horse in the
ring; if you are Middle West, you probably have read or worked or traded
or raised more horses than I will ever ride. But in selecting a mountain
horse, his mere points as a physical specimen are often little in his
favor, while glaring defects may concern his usefulness hardly at all.

[Sidenote: Western Horses]

Never mind at first how the horse offered for your inspection looks.
Examine him for blemishes later. You must first discover if he is
sure-footed and courageous. An eastern horse would not last five minutes
on a western trail. A western horse, no matter how accustomed to
mountain work, is worse than useless if subject to ordinary horse-panics
at suddenly rustling leaves, unexpected black stubs, and the like. He
must attend to his footing, keep his eyes for the trail, and _be wise_.
Next you must inquire if this steadiness carries over into other things.
He must stand when left without hitching, and must be easy to catch.
Often you will have to dismount for the purpose of clearing trail,
helping the pack train, tightening ropes, or reconnoitering. At such
junctures iron hitching posts are not always at hand. Nothing is more
aggravating than the necessity of searching everywhere for a place to
tie, or worse, to be forced to chase down and