Whiffletrees

Whiffletree: 1) The pivoted swinging bar to which the traces of a harness are fastened and by which a vehicle or implement is drawn.

2) A crossbar, pivoted at the middle, to which the traces of a harness are fastened for pulling a cart, carriage, plow, etc.

Also called whippletree, singletree, swingletree.

//"They rode right out of the dustcloud without seeing us at all, crossing the road and the first ten or twelve had already jumped the ditch with pistols in their hands like when you run with a stick of stove wood balanced on your palm, and the last ones came out of the dust with five men running and holding to stirrups and us sitting there in the wagon with Joby holding the mules like they were sitting down on the whiffletrees and his mouth hanging open and his eyes like two eggs, and I had forgotten what the blue coats looked like." //

The Unvanquished (58)