The Roswell daily record. [volume] (Roswell, N.M.) 1903-current, 1904-04-07
4 GIRL COWBOY
foriginal.l

do so advantageously In p~etticoats. she
donned mans attire and. with money
to take her to the cattle grounds. start
ed out in search of health.
One morning she appeared at a ranch
and asked II a cowboy was wanted.
The superintendent looked her wei
from head to foot and said:
Whats your nameY"
tom Dorkins."
"TenderfoOt. ! reckon."
Yes; I'm not very well. Doctor rec
commended outdoor life"
"ItTl cure you. sure. But you'll die
from another cause. The boys will
grind you to powder. However. II you
want to try 1t, go ahead"
Ii Tom Dorkins hadn't beer some
thing of an invalid he would have had
a hard time OF It, As 1t WAS. the cow
boys were disposed to take no cogni-
n of him whatever. One Of them
set up u faro bank In the barn, and
Mary Invested u few dollars she had
In her pocket In he game. She struck
an astonishing run of luck and without
knowing any more about faro than she
NDO0S man DtVhC llC
bank. Nothing succeeds like success.
and as Bob Hathaway, the faro banker.
Was not popular the boys all declared
In favor of the tenderfoot. Mary in
vested her winnings in a spree for the
boys. which, while it clinched her pop
ularity with them, brought down upon
her the wrath OF Hathaway, who ex.
pected to win back his money at the
next sitting.
Then commenced a number. OF petty
Insults and annoyances from the faro
dealers which had Mary been "a man
would have been unbearable. AS it
was, she was placed in a position where
she would have to fight. She was
made aware Of this. for her patient en-
durance of Hatlaway's Insults induced
u GOODNESS on the part OF the other
boys.
AT H~athaway's next insult Mary
went to m Of the boys. Henderson by
ma me. whom she admired for a certain
GOODNESS and dignity there were about
him. and asked him to bear a message
for her.
Can you shoot. Tonnmy?' asked
Henderson.
Don't know"
See II you can hit that" He held
his hat at arms length. Mary drew
her revolver from, her hip pocket and.
standing q dozen PAGES from the hat.
fired. Hearing a howl and seeing Hen
derson's hand covered with blood, she
burst into tears.
s.Xo,, ltfIo f11It Vn,. a-- hoh.t uvhy
didn't you hit the hat? How do you
expect to fight a cowboy with such
shooting as thatY"
Are you killed." cried Mary.
Killed? No. But I've lost a part of
my thumb"
A little later Henderson and the EN-
derfoOt were observed standing very
close together. the latter binding mp the
formers thumb with a handkerchief.
From that day Henderson gave out
that Dorkins. being in bad health. must
not be interfered with. All ave Hath
away were disposed to let the boy
alone. and he seemed averse to inter
fering further with one whom Hender-
son had taken up as a prOtege. Mary
grew stronger every day. and when
the bloom came to her cheek N Of
the boys remarked that the tenderfoot
was pretty enough for a girl" Then
one day Hathaway recommended his
taunts.
II thought 1 told you" said Hen
derson, that the boy was to be let
alone"
THAT was because he was sick. He's
well enough now"
IL want you to understand replied
Henderson. THAT ! consider Tom Dor
kins a sick man."
"Sick, bosh!" cried the crowd Hes
well enough"
Hathaway, you let him alone. II
you are spelling for a fight you can
have 1t with me-"
"AN right" said Hathaway. You
send your baby boy to me with the
message he asked you to bring"
And so it was arranged that Hender-
son and Hathaway should fight. But
his did not serve in the case Of Dor
kins. who received the dead cut from
the crowd. Mary accepted the position
Of second when she should have been
first, and they despised her.
Mary further incurred the contempt
of the crowd by displaying a trembling
hand when she handed her principal
his revolver.
whats the matter with your re-
marked the opposing second. you're In
no danger. you little He broke of
suddenly at a glance from Henderson.
Dorkins was to give he first signal
by dropping a hat. 1t is questionable
II the signal would have beer given
had not the econd's han trembled so
she couldn't hold 1t. At the FIRST nre
Hathaway was unhurt: Henderson had
the top of his ear taken of He con
trived to keep his second from seeing II
by turning 1t from her. The W prin-
cipals stood ready for the second signal
when, suddenly. Mary saw blood on
Henderson's collar. This was more