The star. (Reynoldsville, Pa.) 1892-1946, 1896-11-04

well off the true course and already in
trouble in the sage-brush.
BY morning he WITS in thicket, in
n trackless canon, his horse played out,
himself exhausted. lie climbed hill
and found water on the other side;
then he could not find his way back
t. his horse. He spent hours looking
for the horse, gave it up, aud fortu
nately lost the compass. IL then oc-
Cured to him to follow down the
canon, which soon opened out into u
little valley with settlers cabin.
Here he learned that he was about
the same distance from town as when
he started upon his ride. Getting
fresh mount and this time following
travelled road, he reached town just
tweny-four hours late.
More delay ensucd here, the doctor
being out Finally, with DIR. Cutler
in tow, he started bnck for the ranch.
During the long hours of waiting
the injured man was, by his COM
rades, made M comfortable ns might
be ; and, as time passed beyond when
Biddy should have returned they
sought to shorten IL by anecdotes of
other accidents.
Smithy said it reminded him of
| ,nnu ,l,wn In h,;v,na ,nt III b,, N
snake. "rhey sent me down to tho
nearest station for whiskey. On the
way up intended only to take one
sip, but took two, and | never re-
membered exactly what happened after
that, until got back with the empty
Jug. And the joke of it was, the man
was dead"
| Another said Roberts hurt was Just
like case he had known, where the
doctor cut of mans leg in two
places.
"Say, boys" said Robert, "put my
gun where | can reach it before that
doctor comes"
The next morning Ed Reese came
running up. Ed was what the cow
boys cnll natural doctor. He had
pulled teeth and cut hair on that range
for years.
ed" said Robert, "I'm powerful
glad to see you; / didu't know you
was this side the mountains. You got
to stay and fix my leg"
"Well, "said Ed, 81 shaved you lots
of times; guess ! can mend your leg"
Ed Mt once set about reducing tho
Inflammation by application of fresh
meat, preferably newly killed rabbits,
split up tho back and renewed every
five minutes, and by other expedients
well known to cowboy doctors. After
some hours he announced that the leg
would come out all right.
may say here that it did, and
eventually became better and longer
one than its mate.
Robert was comfortably asleep, and
the boys were taking an after-dinner
smoke outside, when Bddy came in
sight with DIR. Cutler. 1t was agreed
that the doctor was not to be allowed
to see Robert, but Smith said he ought
to have some kind of Job after COM
ing SO far and how would it do to
break Biddy's leg and let him set
that?
When they rode mp, Ed Reese
stepped forward and informed the
doctor that it had oil been little joke
on Burke, that Robert was only
slightly bruised, had recovered and
hud gone away.
Was he mad? Well, he didn't say
much, aud only grunted when Ed
handed up twenty, saying they
wished to pay for the joke.
When the doctor had turned his
horses head toward them, Biddy told
the story of his delay. 1t was doubt
ful what his standing was to be until
Robert settled it.
al am awtully sorry" said Burke to
Robert.
"Shucksl" said Robert: ''me and
you are pardners from this day. You
saved my leg"
"That's right" said Reese. "Dr.
Cutler never lost SO good "a chance to
cut off leg as yours was yesterday.
--Argonaut.