The Somerset reporter., 1896-03-12
A FIGHT FOR A GIRL.

A faint yellow light still fingered in
the west, although the moon was shin
ing. 1t was hot night not a breath of
air stirred the stiff limbs of the yucca
trees or the fiery cactus blooms. The
the baked sides of the small adobe
houses, and the sandy soil was uncom-
Portable to walk upon, although the sun
had been down an hour
The town was just beginning to show
signs of life. Any one arriving there be-
tween the hours of 10 in the morning
and at night would feel assured that
the place was deserted. Doors and shut
tiers were closed, and the fierce rays of
the sun beat down from the FURNISHED
blue Arizona skies with malignant glee,
holding undisputed sway. At sundown,
however, humanity began to assert it
self. Not that it was much cooler but
the terrible, binding glare was gone.
Men appeared on the one long, stray
CLING street, clad in cotton shirts and
trousers, the former turned back from
the throat as far as possible. Ponies
came Looping across the trails from the
nearest camps with their swarthy riders,
and lights began to flare in the saloons
and gambling tents. Sounds of voices
were heard, too-true, mostly in oaths
and coarse jokes, but they We're human
and on this particular night came the
wheezy wall of a fiddle and the livelier
rattle of banjo from the upper floor of
the single two story building in the
place, rough structure of implanted
pine boards, with the words Hanks
Hotel" in large black letters over the
door.
A dance was evidently in progress,
for several ponies were tethered to the
yucca trees in front, and out on the still
night air came the sound of a man $
voice shouting orders.
Inside the room it was hot and un-
comfortable, made more so by the light
Of half dozen lamps. There We're per-
haps 80 men and one third as many
women, the former cowboys in high
boots and tucked in trousers or red
shrted miners from the camps 20 miles
away in the mountains, and all had
pistols or knives cleaning i'll their
belts. The women were brazen, painted
things. who had drifted here when they
were down on their luck, ;" and staid
because their sex was such a rarity that
they were tolerated
"A hard crowd" thought Jack De
wore as he leaned against the door idly
watching the dancers. "All of them
toughened with crime, and all of them
show it, unless is that one over there, y
and his eyes rested on young girl who
had just finished dancing, and stood
leaning against the wall painting and
exhausted.
Jack Deyore, in spite of his travels
and dangerous life, did not show his
40 years. Looking at him one would
take him for gentleman of quiet and
retiring tastes. He was remarkably
handsome, of the blond type, and
dressed in excellent taste. He spoke
good Spanish and purest English, had a
knowledge of Shakespeare that many
scholar might we'll envy, possessed a
tenor voice that would have made his
fortune on the operatio stage, and pair
of eyes that Won Id win one s heart, they
were SO innocent and honest. Yet Jack
Devore had been put down by more
than one as an unmitigated villain. He
was professional gambler, and had
broken more hearts and ruined more
lives than any other man in California
and Arizona. He was said to be utterly
without pity, although some swore to
the contrary. At any rate he was relent
less in his pursuit of an object, and a
dead shot. two things which made him
man whom it would be unwise to
offend.
Re was we'll aware of the furtivt
Chances which were cast in his direction
as he lounged against the door. 1t
pleased him TO hear the respectful in
vitations to dance which he received,
but he felt DO desire to join them-Jack
Devore was rather fastidious in his
tastes. and touching ono of the painted
women was out of the question, but the
girl at whose face his eyes had stopped
was different.
Ou IIISub llbh lIOlH lut NJlly III
Mexico to san Francisco, a" he unused,
land not find another face like hers, :"
and Jack was an excellent judge of
beauty.
She stood leaning against the wall in
posture which brought out every lire
Of her rounded figure, from the small
foot tapping the floor in time to the
groaning fiddle to the top Of her saucy
head. She wore short cotton skirt of
some coarse dark material, while large
white kerchief, draped Mexican fashion.
leaving her throat and arms bare served
for bodice. Her hair, which fell in
long black curls below her waist, was
caught up at the left side of her head
with few brilliant cactus flowers 3; her
teeth shone white through her parted
lips, and her eyebrows met in a straight
level line over a pair of glorious dark
eyes As if aware that some one WAS
watching her, she stirred uncomfortably,
and then, looking up, met Jack Devore'
gaze for moment she stared at him
then her eyes fell nervously Thinking
that this was a decided point in her favor,
ne reused himself and crossed the room
10 where she stood.
own won dapoaop ba sold in his