The Pack-train. How Packed.

PACK-TRAINS.

Gen. Holabird says: A pack-mule carries on an average 200 pounds. Allow one pack-mule to six or seven men for detachments out scouting from five to eight days; twelve mules to two officers and sixty or seventy men for six days; eight mules to one officer and fifty men of cavalry for six days.

The above allowance does not contemplate the carrying of forage.

Cavalry drill-regulations state: With fifty packs there should be twelve packers. Each troop should have four mess-boxes, seven-eighths inch lumber, dovetailed, 11 inches by 18 inches by 26 inches, and, when packed in pack-cover, without lids.

In camp or garrison, logs of wood, 26 inches long, and sacks of corn, double-sacked and lashed to avoid breaking sacks, having the weight it is intended the mule should carry, are kept on hand for drill purposes.

Each pack should be provided with two coils of three-eighths inch rope, 18 to 28 feet long, for lashing packs.

The pack-saddle consists of the saddle proper; two pads; crupper; corona; manta or pack-cover; two pieces of canvas, each 84 inches by 22 inches, stitched together on the long edges; halter and strap; canvas cincha, 10 inches wide; sling-rope, half-inch best hand-laid manilla whale-line, 20 to 32 feet long; and leather cincha, with lash-rope, five-eighths inch whale-line 42 feet long. There should be one blind for every five packs.

The size of rope is given by the measurement of its diameter.

A "full-rigged" saddle has sling-straps and cargo-cincha; the sling and lash ropes are then dispensed with.

While saddling, loading, or readjusting the packs, the animals should be blinded. The mules should be trained to stand perfectly quiet while the blind is on; they should never be led or forced to move without first removing the blind.

TO FIT THE SADDLE.

The pack-saddle is fitted to the animal in a manner similar to that of the riding-saddle; it is so constructed that it can be placed one and one-half inches farther forward than the riding-saddle.

If the pads are not square, draw the screws, unlace the pads from the skirts, then square and fit them to the animal by placing the canvas cincha immediately around the animal's girth, the front edge touching the breast-bone (cartilages of true ribs), the middle of the cincha being exactly in the middle of the lower edges of the pads; then screw the pads to the saddle-bars, keeping the cincha in place till the adjustment is made; then remove the cincha and replace the pads.

Adjust the canvas cincha so as to be long enough to go nearly around the girth of the mule, over the saddle.

Adjust the crupper by lengthening or shortening the lace-strings that attach it to the saddle, taking care not to make it too tight.

TO SADDLE.

Place the corona on the mule's back, about two to two and one half inches in front of where the pommel end of the saddle is to rest; place the folded saddle-blanket over the corona; take the saddle by both yokes and place it squarely in position, a little in rear of its proper place; place the crupper under the dock and gently move the saddle forward to position; pass the ring end of the canvas cincha over the saddle from left to right and under the belly; pass the latigo through the ring and tighten the cincha; when cinched, the ring end of the cincha should be above the lower edge of the near pad.

CARGOES.

The rations should be carefully put up in one-hundred-pound packs lashed solidly, and carried on the best pack-mules; each pack is plainly marked with its contents and weight.

Salt, sugar, coffee, and beans are double-sacked, and lashed in one-hundred-pound packages. Bacon, in one-hundred-pound packages, is packed in from five to eight pounds of clean straw or hay, double-sacked and lashed firmly.

The yeast-powder cases should be opened and hay or straw stuffed closely around the boxes to prevent shaking, and, with other articles, lashed into one-hundred-pound packages.

Each cargo is in two side-packs of about one hundred to one hundred and twenty-five pounds each, and should match in size, shape, and weight as nearly as practicable, each side-pack having, as nearly as may be, the following proportions: width one half more than thickness, length nearly one half more than the width; e. g., 12 inches by 18 inches by 25 inches.

All the salt, sugar, coffee, and beans should not be placed in one cargo. Ammunition should be in cargoes.

Pads or cushions of hay 26 inches by 44 inches may be placed under the cincha to keep long and rough packs from the animal's hips and shoulders.

TO LOAD CARGO.

The packers should work by threes, designated Nos. 1, 2, and 3. No. 1 is on the near side, No. 2 on the off side of the mule; when No. 3 works with No. 1 he is nearest the croup; when with No. 2 he is opposite the mule's shoulders.

The mule is placed near to and with its left side next to the cargo by No. 2, who then puts on the blind.

No. 1, on the near side, passes the centre of the sling-rope over the saddle to the off side far enough to allow the rope to pass over the off-side pack and come back within his reach, the parts of the rope separated by six to twelve inches. Nos. 2 and 3 take the off-side pack, place it well up on the saddle; No. 2 grasps the loop of the sling-rope with his right hand, brings the rope up against the pack and lets the loop drop over his right shoulder in readiness to pass it over the pack; No. 2 holds the pack in place.

No. 3 passes to the near side and with No. 1 takes the near-side pack and places it, flat side next the mule, well up on the saddle, lapping the upper edge well over the upper edge of the off-side pack. No. 1, with his back to the mule's shoulder, takes the end of the front part of the sling-rope, passes it from the outside through the loop, and pulls it down with the right hand; he now grasps the rear end of the sling-rope with the left hand, and ties the ends together in a square bow-knot, the packs high up.

No. 1 calls out, "Settle"; No. 1 and No. 2 each grasps his side of the cargo by the lower corners, lifts upward and outward, settling the upper edges well together and balancing the load. If the packs are tied too high they are easily lowered, but if tied too low they must be lifted and placed as in the first trial.

While Nos. 1 and 2 are tying and placing the cargo, No. 3 takes the lash-rope, throws the free end to the rear of the mule, convenient to No. 2, and places the cincha end in front of No. 1. No. 1 grasps the rope with the right hand, three feet from the cincha, and passes the hook end of the cincha under the mule to No. 2, who takes the hook (H, Fig. 24) in the left hand; No. 1 with the left hand grasps the rope three feet above the right, raises the rope and lays it between the side-packs from rear to front (P P'), pulling it to the front until a long enough loop (A) is formed to pass over the cargo and fasten in the cincha-hook (H). The right hand, back down, holds the cincha end of the rope, the loop (A) falling outward over the right forearm; the left hand, back up, holding the other part of the rope between the loop and the middle of the packs; No. 1 now throws the loop (A) over the pack, then lets the part in the left hand drop on the mule's neck, thus forming another loop (A', Fig. 25); No. 2 passes the rope through the hook, pulls the cincha end of the rope till the hook is drawn up so that, when tightened, the hook shall be near the lower edge of the off pad. No. 1 now grasps the rope at G, Fig. 26, and tucks a loop from rear to front, under the part AA, Fig. 26, over the centre of the near-side pack (G, Fig. 27); No. 2 passes the free end of the rope under the part EE, Fig. 27, and throws it over on the near side of the mule's neck; No. 1 draws the tucked loop forward and forces the rope under the corners and lower edge of the near pad and hauls it taut from above the rear corner; No. 2 grasps the rope at I, Fig. 27, with the left hand, and at K with the right hand, and passes the rope under the corners and lower edge of off pad (KL, Fig. 28) and hauls taut at the front corner, No. 1 taking in the slack at the free end of the rope.

The lash is now ready for the final tightening. No. 2 removes the blind, leads the mule forward a few steps, No. 1 in rear at the same time looking to see if the packs are properly adjusted. The mule is again blinded. The object of the final tightening is to lash the load firmly to the saddle; pulling all the parts of the lash-rope taut, and taking up the slack, commencing at the cincha; and continuing the process from part to part, until the slack is taken up at the free end of the lash-rope. While No. 2 is pulling the parts taut, No. 1 takes up the slack or steadies the cargo, or vice versa; the pulling is done in such manner as not to shake the cargo out of position.

No. 2 grasps the lash-rope above where it leaves the hook and below the edge of the pad, right hand below left, places left knee against rear corner of pad; No. 1 grasps with the right hand the same part of the rope where it comes over the pack on the near side, and with the left hand at G, Fig. 28, places his right shoulder against the pack to steady it; he then says, "Pull." No. 2 tightens by steady pulls and, without letting the rope slip back through the hook, gives the slack to No. 1, who takes it up by steady pulls. When No. 2 thinks the cincha is sufficiently drawn, he says, "Enough." No. 1 holds solid with the right hand, slips the left down to where the rope passes over the front edge of the pad, and holds solid; the right hand then grasps the continuation of the rope at rear corner of pad and pulls taut; then with both hands, placing his right knee against rear corner of pad, pulls the rope well home, No. 2 taking up the slack by grasping the rope (I, Fig. 28) where it comes over the rear end of off-side pack, with both hands. No. 1 steps to the front and steadies the pack; No. 2 then pulls taut the parts on his side, taking up the slack; this draws the part of the lash-rope AA, Fig. 28, well back at the middle of the pack; he then with the left hand at the rear corner of pad (K) pulls taut, and holds solid, while with right hand at front corner of pad (L) he takes up slack; he then, with both hands at, and placing his knee against, the front corner of the pad, pulls well taut, No. 1 taking up the slack on his side, and then pulls solid, drawing the part EE, Fig. 28, of the rope coming out from the hook well forward at the middle of the pack, then carries the free end under the corners and end of pad, draws taut and ties the end fast by a half-hitch near cincha end of lash-rope. If the rope should be long enough to reach over the load, after passing under the corners, it is passed over and made fast on the off side by tying around both parts of the lash-rope above the hook and drawing them well together.

To tighten the lash rope on the load it is necessary to take up and pass the slack as in the final tightening.

To slacken the rope on the load it is necessary to begin to slacken from the free end, and carry the slack by reversing the process of tightening.

When the pack-cover is used, it is placed over the cargo before putting on the lash-rope.

When the side-packs are of unequal bulk or weight, the larger or heavier should be placed on the near side; it should then lap over the off-side pack until the packs balance.

Top Packs, i. e., small packages placed in the middle between the side packs, should be avoided.

When the sling-rope is half-hitched into the saddle-yokes the load is made more secure, but there is great danger of injury to the mule's back.

On the full-rigged saddle the canvas cincha is attached to the saddle by the "spider"; the side packs are laid on the saddle as before, held by the sling-straps and secured by the cargo-cincha. The lash-and sling-ropes are then dispensed with, but the use of the lash-and sling-ropes gives greater security to the cargo and greater comfort to the mule.

TO UNLOAD CARGO.

Only two men, Nos. 1 and 2, are necessary; they work as when loading.

The mule is placed with head toward the centre of where the cargoes are piled. No. 1 puts on the blind; No. 2 unfastens the free end of the lash-rope; then Nos. 1 and 2 slacken the rope; No. 2 with the left hand removes the part under the end and corners of the pad on the off side and unhooks the cincha with the right hand; No. 1 removes the part under the ends and corners of the pad on the near side, gathers the parts of the rope together on his side with both hands, coiling it, and lays the rope on the ground where he intends to place the cargo, the cincha and free end exposed on the side opposite where the rigging is to be placed; No. 1 unties the sling-rope, casts it loose, takes his side pack and places it on the lash-rope across the line of cargo; No. 2 at the same time takes his pack and lays it on top of near side pack, and then, holding the sling-rope at centre loop, doubles it and places it on top of load, loop exposed, for convenience when required.

The second load is placed end to end with the first and on the side next to where the rigging is to be placed; the end of the lash-rope is coiled and placed on top of the last sling-rope, and is used for tying the mule when reloading.

The saddle-cinchas should be slackened and the mules allowed to cool before removing the saddles.

TO UNSADDLE.

Unfasten the latigo and throw the end across the top of saddle; fold the cincha with latigo inside and place across top of saddle; push the saddle back, remove crupper from under dock, double it forward, with crupper above cincha on top of saddle, and remove saddle; the saddles are placed in line, resting on the ends of pads.

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