There is a marked difference between avoiding work and actually trying get work done more efficiently. We sometimes avoid doing a job because we think that it would not be worth the reward of the work. Sometimes we deceive ourselves thinking that we are being practical and avoid doing something that would be very practical. Down through the ages man has tried to improve his methods of working by inventing many labor saving devices. Some are born of necessity and others are born trying to avoid the drudgery of certain kinds of work.

When I was a boy I had two friends who lived on the same block as where we live now. They were Rollo and Norris Pratt. One day I saw them near our home busily pounding the ground with a hammer. I went over to see what they were doing. They were squatting on each side of a big Ant bed. They each had a hammer and were killing ants with every stroke of their hammers. I asked curiously what they were doing. They answered that they were killing this big Ant Bed. "Won't that take an awful long time", I asked. "Not too long", Rollo answered proudly.

I watched as the ants kept streaming out of the hole to aid their brother ants. Also I guess they could feel the vibration of the hammers striking the ground and were coming to investigate only to be smashed by a hammer stroke. Soon they dug into the Ant Bed following the hole and different tunnels. Hour after hour they worked in the hot sunshine. Digging and pounding the ants as they came out. Soon they came to nests of eggs and larvae and even the Queen ant was killed in her nest deep in the ground. Near the end of the day they could find no more ants nor tunnels. They wearily took their hammers and walked the two blocks to their home. As they left they told me to ask my father if he had any Ant Beds for them to kill. They only charged fifty cents per Ant bed.

As I have thought of that method of killing Ants I have reflected on the fact that they used a lot of time to accomplish their work. Was it worth it?

Then I remembered the man who was raising hogs and was approached by a salesman selling different things to improve his operation. After demonstrating a few things the salesman said proudly, "Think of all of the hours you can save". The farmer thought for a minute and commented dryly, "What is time to a hog".

A young man hired on with a man who owned a large farm and a big cattle ranch. The young man was a little slow mentally but wanted to make a good impression so as to be able to keep his job. He found things to do and worked very willingly and worked early and late. His boss was impressed and decided to take him out to the ranch to live on the ranch since he was so willing to work.

They packed up the supplies and the young man took his little Mochila and they traveled about four hours from town to the distant ranch. Where they were met by the foreman of the ranch with horses to continue on to the pretty valley where the ranch house was located by the windmill that supplied the water for the ranch and cattle. The young man settled into his new home and worked well with the foreman doing all of the things that the ranch requires. As the days went by and there was not really that much to do except routine chores the young man began to be lonely in his isolation. About the second month the days began to be long and boring and the nights seemed even longer as he thought of home and the excitement of town life.

The foreman told him soon they would be going to meet the boss and bring home their provisions. The young man began to devise a plan where by he could go back with the boss to his home.

The next morning at breakfast the foreman began to talk to the young man but he could not answer. He only pointed at his tongue and shook his head indicating that he could not talk. This went on for several days and the foreman began to get worried and told him that when the boss came he would have to go back to town to see what was the matter. Finally the day came to go to meet the boss they saddled up and went hurrying to where the boss was to meet them. As they were galloping along the young man was absorbed in his thoughts of home when suddenly he cried out loudly, :Watch out for the hole! The foreman looked at him in surprise and suddenly realized that in his effort to save him from stepping in the hole he had forgotten that he could not speak and thus had given away his plan to be sent home.

A few years ago Don Cirilo Perez, the Old General, Emilio Burgos Grandfather, was traveling with his Grandson Rafael Perez and some cowboys to a little town deep in the Seirra Madre to buy cattle. They had traveled several days on the rugged trails and had camped for the night on a a nice creek in a beautiful canyon. They planned on reaching the town the next day.

The next morning they got all packed up and had packed Don Cirilo's bed roll on a new little mule so as to not give her a heavy pack. As they finished packing her they took off the blind fold. The little mule quickly ducked out of her halter and trotted off down the back trail Don Cirilo and Rafael quickly mounted their mules and went in pursuit of the little mule who felt free and was going home. The terrain was so steep and rough that they could not seem to gain on the little mule. Don Cirilo was not pleased with the situation because all of the money to buy the cattle was in his bed roll on that little mule and they were steadily losing ground.

Finally they came to a long steep climb and Don Cirilo said to Rafael, "Shoot her". Rafael got off his mule with his 30-30 Rifle in his hand. He took careful aim and shot the little mule in the neck. She dropped dead and they climbed to retrieve the bed roll and the money. They took off the Aparejo and hid it in the brush to be picked up on the way back. They were soon back with the cowboys and on the trail toward the town.

A long time ago I was visiting Chuhuichupa and Emilio Burgos came and told me that his cousin Poncho Enruquez was selling out his holdings in Chuhuichupa . He said that he had some good mules that he was trying to sell at a much reduced price. We drove out to Poncho's pasture and looked over the mules. Among the mules a little blue mule took my eye. She was as pretty as a picture and looked well built and strong in spite of her small size. Emilio said that she was well trained and with plenty of life. I bought the blue mule and Emilio said he would send her to the ranch with the mules he was buying.

We went on our family pack trip soon after that and when we arrived at the Carrizo corral there was the little blue mule. We used her that trip and all of the family fell in love with her. She was the ideal riding mule for that country and very willing. We didn't even need spurs or a quirt. Naoma claimed her for her mount. On one trip we camped in a deep canyon and belled a couple of the horses for the mules would stay with the horses. The next morning to our surprise the Blue Mule was gone. Yagui said that he had tracked her and she had left the others and gone straight up the steep rugged mountain without stopping to eat and had gone out of the country where we were. He commented that the she was trying to get out of work.

Our next trip the blue mule was back with the horses and mules so we were glad to use her. That night we decided to hobble her and put a bell on her so that we could find her the next morning. The next morning Yagui reported that she had gone again hobbles, bell and all. She had gone straight up the mountain at a steady jump! Jump! Jump! Yagui said she was really trying to get out of work this time to go off hobbled.

Our next trip the cowboy told us that he had found the blue mule two weeks after she had left us. She still had the hobbles on but the bell was gone. He said that when she saw him she greeted him gladly and that when he took of the hobbles she followed him closely all of the way back to the ranch .

After that we never had any trouble with that little blue mule. She was even easy to catch and was very willing to work and stay with the other animals. In later years she turned completely white so we changed her name to the little White Mule. She was a favorite with all of the family for many years. When Pete Cowgill the Sports writer from Tucson came down I gave him the white mule to ride told him that she would take care of him and even kiss him goodnight.; He wrote up his experience and entitled it "Vaya Blanquito".

She had a very hard lesson trying to get out of her work but she learned it well and never tried it again.

In my younger days I used to welcome any kind of work. I loved to work on the farm. I loved to teach school. I loved to work on building projects but most of all I welcomed the chance to take a big bunch of explorer scouts on a pack trip even though it was a lot of work for me. Packing the mules with the help of my Cowboy, getting all of the boys matched up with a suitable mount and cooking all of the meals for that bunch of hungry growing boys. I would look for opportunities to serve in this way especially I liked too take my family and their friends welcoming the work that it entailed. Since I have grown old and have many limitations I don't like to do that anymore. Am I trying avoid the work or am I being wise in not trying to run faster than I have strength.

Dad Haynie gave us a mule by the name of Chihuahua He was the first mule we ever had and was a very good all around mule. I even have movies of me roping calves on him on the open range on the ranch. He was willing to do any and all kinds of work. He was even a good pack mule. I used him to hunt on out east of Dublan and he welcomed and even helped me load those big heavy Mule Deer Bucks on the back of my saddle. Then he could carry me and the Deer for hours in the very rocky Malpaiz Mountains.

On the trip when Dad wanted to go hunting with all of his sons and son in law. I sent all of the horses up for us to ride. Chihuahua was the only mule in the bunch. Dad and some of the boys made fun of me for riding a mule when there were plenty of horses available.

We camped on the Gavilan River at the foot of the North end of the Blues. Later Elvin Whetten built his ranch house about 100 yards upriver from where we camped.

The first morning we all saddled up and started together to split up to Hunt. Uncle Steve Farnsworth was with us as our guide. Dad said that he would take me with him and Uncle Steve could take the others and divide them up.

Dad and I decided to hunt up the west side of the blues to finally top out on the North end. I put Chihuahua to the trail and we were climbing leisurely up the slope. I had to stop often to wait for Dad to catch up. He was riding his big pinto horse from the ranch. I could hear him grunt and mumble angrily at his horse. Apparently the horse didn't know how to go around the trees along the trail but would lean into them instead and really bang Dad's knees..

I spotted a nice White Tailed Buck on a ledge above us. He was looking around trying to locate us. I dismounted and motioned to Dad to come and shoot the Buck. He came and looked where I was pointing. Finally he said, "I can't see him my eyes can't see that far". He urged me to go ahead and shoot. I shot the Buck and he fell thrashing down the steep hill a little ways. We made our way up to where he was and got him cleaned and tied on the back of my saddle. Dad suggested that we needed to put the Deer on his big horse but I assured him that Chihuahua could do it easily and that the pinto really didn't need any more weight.

By the time we climbed out on top it was clouding up and starting to sprinkle. Dad said lets head back to camp and turned and started south along the top of the mesa. I protested that he was going the wrong way. He answered gruffly that he knew where he was going. I was getting worried so I pulled out my pocket compass and showed him that he was heading south instead of north to camp. We turned and started down on the north end of the blues instead of going down the way we had come up. We soon found ourselves on a very steep side hill and found a canyon confronting us. We were near the bottom of the canyon but there was a steep incline of solid rock between us and the bottom. We skirted along the top of that rock incline looking for a way to get down. Finally I found a little gully going down. It was solid rock and fairly smooth for about twenty feet to the dirt in the bottom of the canyon. I said, "let's go down here". Dad said, "I don't think the animals will go down". I got off Chihuahua and started to lead him down the little trough. He started to slide on all fours so I hurried down to one side and in front of him. When we reach the welcome canyon floor Chihuahua heaved a sigh of relief and began to crop the grass Dad was trying to get his Pinto to go down the trough but he was at the edge but would not step onto the rock. Finally Dad in desperation got behind him and gave him a big push and he started sliding down. The horse began to scramble and lost his footing and rolled the rest of the way down. He got up trembling but unhurt. Dad came on down and we mounted up and took a dim trail towards camp and the river. Soon it got very dark as we leveled out on the bench above the river; Dad was in the lead but Chihuahua kept trying to go to the right. I told Dad that my mule wanted to go to the right and he turned to follow me as Chihuahua turned sharply to the right and in a very short time I could tell we were on the trail going to camp. Soon we could see the campfire and we were glad to be back in camp. Dad said as we rode into camp, "If I weren't so heavy I would ride that mule tomorrow". I told him that he didn't have to worry about the weight that Chihuahua could carry him and a Deer on behind. Our hunt was cut short because the next morning we woke up to six inches of snow and it was still snowing hard. We decided to get out while we could.

We used Chihuahua our mule for many years alternately in the mountains in the summer and at the ranch in the winter. He got be old he was getting gray around his eyes and the side of his face.

One trip we went on Karl had spoken to ride Chihuahua. On the way down on a steep trail suddenly Chihuahua snorted and moved quickly to the side We investigated and found a very big green Timber Rattle Snake. It was fully four and a half feet long and as big around as my arm. Karl claimed the big rattles because his mule had discovered the snake. I tied a thread around them leaving a loop on each side. We found some pine resin and resin the thread. By slowly moving the fingers around and around in the loops it would create a loud buzzing, rattling sound just like the snake makes. With that sound Karl had us all warily watching our step.

The next morning Chihuahua could not be found even though we had hobbled him and put a bell on him. He was probably somewhere close by hidden in the dense foliage. He must have been standing very still so that the bell would not sound with his movement. We had to let Karl ride one of the pack mules for the rest of the week because Chihuahua had retired himself. Finally the last morning as we were packing up to go, Chihuahua came into camp with the other animals and Karl rode him out for the last time.

The next year when we went up there the cowboy said that Chihuahua had moved down onto the Gavilan River just below the Old Burgos Ranch and had established himself in retirement. I went down to see if I could see him. I found his fresh tracks going up his special trail up onto a beautiful mesa covered with plenty of grass and timber and trees of all kinds. I followed his tracks to the top but when I got up there I did not find him even though I covered the entire Mesa. When I went to the little trail to go down there were his fresh tracks leading down into the River Bottom where they disappeared in the grassy meadow. I did not get to see him but I am sure he saw me. I mentally thanked him for all of the service he had given the family and sadly bid him goodbye.

Every year after that whenever I would go near the Gavilan I would go and check to see his tracks on his special little trail leading up onto that beautiful Mesa. Finally one year I went to see and found his little trail grown over with grass and was soon to be obliterated. I knew that Old Chihuahua had passed on to his reward where I hope to see him someday.

I feel like I can follow Chihuahua's example and retire from the hard physical labor and dedicate my energy and work to other things. I now Work in the Temple, give Patriarchal Blessings and write them up. I work on the computer writing up these memories of long ago. However I can still serve as guide for people who want to go to the mountains and I can still go to Girl's Camp and be of some service.