, 1896-12-29
BIDDY'S WAGER.
A Veracious Account of a Winter Di,
version on the o. X. Ranch.

NtIsloH vi lue ~. N. lIlnCn.
The wne of the o. X. ranch work
ed their men early and late throughout
the summer, but in the winter months
the whole duty of man was comprised
in riding the pastures and waiting for
spring. A "a good enough or lucky
enough to be retained through the win
ter was on velvet. OF 10 men usually
kept through, two were sufficient to
ride the pastures and keep the fences
in repair; eight could wait for spring.
learning to fiddle. Rhine jerks work,
ed at that for years. The third sea-
son l asked him If he could yet play
any tunes Not yet" said he, hope
fully; but al start a few"
There was always some card-play-
ing, there was some reading. and an
occasional trip to town. The young
sters did considerable letter-writing to
correspondents secured through a mat
rimonial paper known on the range as
the Gizzard and Fist. The various in
dustries were ad libitum: the one occu,
patton which never pals on the cow
boy who has worked hard all summer,
and whose pay is going right on
through stormy weather, is waiting for
spring.
The o. X. ranch lay in a narrow and
fertile valley, and about this time the
encroachment of actual settlers began
to perplex the owner and annoy the
men. In season a great part of the
valley had been preempted, and where
last year was an unlimited open wa
te%r-front, with not a house in sight, it
had become dotted with settlers cab.
ms and notices to keep off the grass.
Only eight miles below the ranch, in a
bend OF the river where we had many
n time held a bunch of cattle while cut.
ting out, a school house had been
built. When settlers come to stay, the
big cattle herds have to move on.
School houses are pretty good evl.
| hNllSSo vi pei llldlltHl Sellltlltill.
This one opened for the first term in
charge of a teacher imported for the
position from the states" and every
man on the ranch rode around that
way to inspect the fences. A bright
eyed. fresh-faced girl is a pleasant
sight to a man, whether he be afuot
or on horseback, and as she stood in
the door, with a look of curiosity as to
what name Of men We're these troop
ing by, any mar in the company would
have given his boots for the right to
doff his hat and say Good morning"
After we had passed by, Robert rails
ed the question whether he, as the old
man of the party, should not have done
so. II don't think" he said, that we
showed proper respect to the young
lady to all go by a-looking out of the
corner of our eye, and nary man saying
a word"
The boys laughed, but Robert was
serious.
Then Biddy offered him a wager.
IN bet you that l get q letter from
that girl before you do"
"Biddy, you're a fool" said Robert;
that's a sensible girl, and you have
been so locoed with them correspond
ents in the Gizzard and Fist you don't
know enough to know you'll ever get
a letter from a sensible girl. I'll take
your bet, and If you don't get your let
ter in one month, you got to do my
work all winter"
Done" said Biddy.
On reflection, Biddy would not have
offered such a wager. The beauty of
Biddy's character was that his second
thoughts came SO long after his first
thoughts that there was time for much
action between. In the matter OF this
bet he tuck action at once by writing
under an assumed Icme to the teacher
about three of his children residing in
another county, and asking on what
terms they would be received into her
school. In due time his letter was an
swered by the trustee to whom it had
been referred. He next wrote Miss
Bell. saying he understood she wished
to buy q saddle-horse and might ne
bring one for inspection. No answer
to this.
Finally he tried what he could do at
shorter range. He secured an intro
duction to the lady. met her several
times, and presently his second
thoughts began to stir. What seemed
to him easy enough on the day he rode
by the school house was now impos-
sible. He did not see how he could
have become involved in such an at
tempt. He heartily scorned himself.
Riding home in this mood, which he
fancied showed rather fine feeling, but
which reaily arose from conscious fail
ure, Biddy looked up Robert t o ac-
knowledge himself beaten, but Robert
was Of to town and did not show up
again Wtil after Christmas.
Robset, wAo had ridden by the