All right, I'll tell you about the mules, but first let's get the set formed up for the next dance. Find yourself a partner, and line up in a line of couples, starting right here in front of the band.

I spent a week on horseback in the High Sierras in 1982, riding from Mammoth to Rock Creek. After we came through Silver Pass, some of the other people on the trip asked me if I'd been scared while coming down the path. I told them no, I hadn't known there was anything to be scared about. I just let my horse worry about the trail, while I took pictures of the valley below, which looked like it was big enough to drop the entire state of Massachusetts into.

Well, it turned out there was some reason to be nervous about the trail. One of the mules that carried our gear lost its footing on the trail, and since the mules were roped together, the entire mule string fell down three switchbacks. The wranglers had to unfasten the gear, get the mules back on their feet, then get the gear back on them. Usually the mule strings passed us around lunch time, and the wranglers had the next camp set up before we got to it, but not that day.

And while we were waiting in the rain for the mules to arrive, I called a square for the other riders, to the music of a harmonica that someone had with him. The other riders referred to it later as "The Waiting For The Mules Mud Stomp."

It looks like you're all ready to dance. This is a dance I wrote based on a French-Canadian dance called "The Long Potato." I call it "Jacob's Potato."

Face your partner, and give hands to the people on either side of you, so that you've got long lines at the side of the set. At the ends of the set, give your free hand to your partner, so that the whole set is joined up in one big oval.

In that big oval circle left, following your left hand around.

Now circle back to the right, until you're across from your partner again.

All go forward to your partner, and then back away.

Everyone dosido with your partner - pass your partner by the right shoulder, slide back to back, and back up to your own line.

Now, just the top couple, the couple nearest the music, give both hands to your partner, and the top couple slide down the center of the set for about eight slides.

Slide back up to the top of the set.

Now the top couple is going to slide down the outside of the set to bottom of the set and stay there, while everyone else swing your partner!

End the swing back in your own line, and join hands at the sides of the set. The new end couples give your free hand to your partner to form up the big oval, but don't go anywhere yet. Wait for the music.

Now, if the band will play us a reel ...