Met a guy coming out with a load. We talked briefly about how to get by each other on this narrow road. He never mentioned leaving any stock behind.
About dark, here comes a mule down the trail, dragging the lesd. After a lengthy coaxing, I caught it & fed it.
Figured I'd haul it back up the trail & hopefully run into the owner, even though there weren't any other rigs at the TH.
Hitched it to the pack horse & headed up the trail. Met a Forest Service guy & asked if he knew of the owner. He called HQ on the radio. Turns out the local I met coming out, did own the mule.
You'd think the guy would have mentioned it OR at least been back by morning
So I went back to the TH & tied it up.
Funny, when trying to catch the mule, he new just where the end of the lead was.....missed it by that much He finally let me walk up to him.

A guy I knew had one of those so-and-so pack mules that couldn't be caught. After the guy put a 30-30 hole through one of its ears, she was better but not completely.

And I'm sure that mule you caught also knew exactly where the TH was. She'd probably made it out by herself just fine!

That was the point. It came down to the TH & no one there, but me.

Good looking mule.

Do folks still get hung for stealing mules, or is that honor just for stealing horses?