The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1896-10-29
BIDDY SAVED A LEG.


Henry Howard Burke could be more kinds
OF fool than any other man in Carson
county. Robert. being the only man on
shat range who answered to no nickname
or subtitle, is an authority I 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 paramount, and all the boys ex-
pected to become cattle kings. So, some
six weeks after closing his schoolbooks,
Henry found himself taken on trial as
horse wrangler on a cattle ranch, where
his associates promptly dubbed him
Hen. 2 He did not like it, and said so.
Whereupon Robert informed him that if
Hen didn' please him, he should be called
Hen no more. Your name is Biddy.''
And Roberts decision was final
Like a colt in harness, Biddy thrashed
about a good bit before he became some
what adapted to his environment. He
YVES the butt Of all the old jokes the vic
tim Of the usual impositions, until a
greener man appeared, when he settled
down to tho routine of his work like tho
other men. except that he usually did the
unexpected thing, and reached his ends by
devious and difficult ways.
1t was on the occasion Of his taking
short cut over a rough mountain with
smooth road around the point, that Robert
first made the remark set down at the be-
ginning. I have an idea that Biddys YER
satility in folly was the result of his greater
Intelligence. Robert himself probably
knew just enough to be fool in two
ways; while, with no more effort, Biddy
had the choice of half a dozen. But I
never mentioned this view to Robert
The chief work of the horse wrangleF is
to Craze the saddle horses at night and
bring them into camp at dawn, where each
man selects his mount for the day. One
early evening thunder shower caused the
bunch to drift away from camp, and as the
clouds began to break and here and there
a star showed through Biddy realized he
had lost his bearings. Robert said after
ward that any other man would have held
the bunch right there until morning and
turned them into camp half an hour late.
But Biddy had another way. Catching
sight of Antares through the clouds, he
recognized it for the north star, and, know
ing he had drifted southwark in the rain,
he drove his herd for half the night toward
the south pole, and was half the day get
ting back.
And that was the beginning of his car
rying a compass. On his first trip out he
bought a pocket compass. and he learned
from the county surveyor that the local
variation of the needle was 10 degrees
east Thus armed and equipped, be felt
himself equal to any emergency, and he
got along smoothly enough until Robert
broke his leg.
III was mighty bad break, . tine fore
man said Looked like the bone was
crushed
Biddy was sent off posthaste for doc
tor. He took a hurried lunch he took the
best horse in his string, he took his COM
pass, and that was the last seen of Biddy
until the third day, His orders were to
be back in eight hours.
I tbink Biddv MIGHT have made II III
thar lime INIT for mo ca'-ss and MI bis sad
lTo ir,e,,+aII,- q. - 81 +Is ,,,,7-
7,ass 1.7ifb success a,,7 - 7,cszz ba5 M
donb+ that II vvanld lead him info the
4r,,-,, I,7y 7,,idnie-bt
v3nt +Fs sse3llo he ,.ods Eaa a b-o1vev,
bor,, Which 49, ,,5a,,7sgl 1,,i+I eft iro7,
AT BiJflv rode ALONG H. liz a match from
+i,,,a +o +i,,5o ma g7,s,,I+al 40 ,,c,,7,.,ss
The nioht vvaa windy ana ~ 7,rotact 4ba
ligb+ he held II ard tbe cop,rass close
down ALONGSIDE If 4be saddle barn xghera
the iron 9efacted tba needle 4 ~ "a de-
orees An error ~ thar avtapt amounts
= o4a ,iI e.,bt w. o ~ ~ ~ 800
7i,7597ey IN bonr e. vas I'll lfs ~ 4~1a
60 s77e7 s1,sagi1- Il, 4ro,1bls :, 80 800
bv,7sb
~ ,,,or,,4,,o. n, voc 4, 4tio1-o+ ~
tracivless csFn7on bis horsa nlavs5 of,t
himself ok Exhausted He elm bed a hin and
foun7 xvatar On the other side Then he
could not ind his way back to his horse.
He enent hours looking for the horse. oave
# IN. and fortunatelv lost The commas. II
then occurred % him to follow down the
canvon. which soon rnaned ONT irtoa little
vsaIiav 2virb ! eettIav's ga5ir
L.. ~, ls.,5.,ss-, ++ -, t,,+ +l
same fisfance from town AZ rvben Id
s+eTfe9 mon his ride CEettino, a fresh
mount and tbis tirne FOLLOWING the travel
ed road he reached town lust "a hours
lac.
More delav ansned here. the Doctor be-
3ne, oft Figallv 9th mr. C,I4tle7. IL, tow.