Orange County observer., 1896-11-12
BIDDY'S ADVENTURE.

have it on the authority OF Robert
that Henry Howard Burke could be
more kinds Of fool than any other
man IN Carson County. Robert, be-
ing the only man on that range who
answered to no nickname nor sub
title, ls an authority feel bound to
respect.
When young Mr.. Burke, fresh from
an Eastern school, came westward to
grow up with the country, the live
stock interest was just then paramount,
and all the boys expected to become
cattle kings. So, some weeks after
closing his schoolbooks. Henry found
himself taken on trial as horse -wrang-
Ter on cattle-ranch, where his asso-
ciates promptly dubbed him "Hen.
He did not like t,and said 80. Where
upon Robert informed him that if
Hen didn't please him, he should be
called Hen no more. "Your name is
Biddy." And Roberts decision was
final.
Like colt in harness. Biddy
thrashed about good bit before be
became somewhat adapted to his en-
vironment. He was the butt OF all
the old jokes, the victim of the usual
impositions, until greener man ap-
peared. when he settled down to the
routine Of his work like the other
men, except that he usually did the
unexpected thing, and reached his
ends by devious and difficult ways
It was on the occasion of his taking
short cut over a rough mountain,
with the horse herd, to save couple
of miles of smooth road around the
point, that Robert first made the re-
mark set down at the beginning.
havo an idea that Biddy's versatility
In folly was the result Of his greater
intelligence. Robert himself prob
ably knew just enough to be fool IN
two ways; while, with no more effort,
Biddy had the choice Of half dozen.
But I never mentioned this view to
Robert.
The chief work Of the horse wrang-
Ter is to Craze the saddle horses ut
night and bring them into camp n,
dawn, where each man selects his
mount for the day. One early even
ing a thunder shower caused the bunch
to drift away from camp. and as the
clouds began to break. and here and
there star showed through. Biddy
realized he had lost his bearings.
Robert said afterward that any Other
man woNld have held the bunch righ,
there until morning and turned then
into camp half an hour late. Bu
Biddy had another way. Catching
sight of Antares through the clouds
he recognized it for the north star
and knowing he had drifted south
ward in the rain, he drove his hero
for half the night toward the Soutl
Pole. and was half the day getting
back.
And that was the beginning OF HI
carving a compass. On his first tril
TO town. he bought a pocket compass
and he learned from the county sur
veyor that the local variation OF tn
needle was thirteen degrees east. Thu
armed and equipped, he felt hlmsei
eoual TO any emergency, and be go
along smoothly enough untii kober
broke his leg.
twas a "miehty bad break, III
foreman said; 'ooked like the bon
was crushed.
Biddy was sent of post haste for
doctor. He took hurried lunch' d
took the best horse IN his string'
took his pass-and that was 'n
last seen Of Biddy until the third da,
His orders we're to ride forty miles
town. Get the doctor, and be back
eight hours.
think Biddy might have made
IN that time but for the compass al
his saddle. E1perimentally, he ha