Amador ledger., 1904-02-19
A GIRL COWBOY
TOriPinaIl

- ~
donned mans attire and, with money
to take her to the cattle grounds, start
al out in search of health.
One morning she appeared at a ranch
and asked if a cowboy was wanted
The superintendent looked her over
from head to foot and said:
Whats your name"
"TOm Dorkins."
"Tenderfoot, reckon"
Yes; Pm not very well. Doctor rec.
commended outdoor life"
It'll cure you, sure But you'll die
from another cause The bows will
grind you to powder. However, if you
want to try il, go ahead"
If Tom Dorkins hadn't been some.
thing of an invalid he would have HAD
hard time of it. AS it was, tthe COW.
boys were disposed to take Mo cogni-
zance of him whatever. One of them
set up faro bank in the barn, and
Mary invested a few dollars she had
In her pocket in the game. She struck
an astonishing run of luck and without
Knowing any more about faro than she
knew about quaternians broke the
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 OK
pected to win back his money at the
next sitting.
Then commenced 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 position where
she would have to fight She was
made aware of this, for her patient en-
durance of Hathaway's insults induced
a coldness on the part of the other
boys.
At Hathaway's next insult Mary
went to one of the boys, Henderson by
name, whom she admired for certain
GOODNESS and dignity there were about
him, and asked him to bear a message
for her.
Can you shoot, TommyY asked
Henderson.
Don't know"
"See if you can hit that" He held
his hat at arms length. Mary drew
her revolver from her hip pocket and
standing a dozen PAGES from the hat,
fired. Hearing howl and seeing Hen
derson's hand covered with blood, she
burst into tears.
"You little fool! You cry baby! Why
didn't you hit the hat? How do you
expect to fight a cowboy with such
shooting as that?"
care you killed?" cried Mary.
"Killed? No. But I've lost a part of
my thumb"
A little later Henderson and the ten
derfoot were observed standing very
close together, the latter binding up the
formers thumb with handkerchief.
From that day Henderson gave out
that Dorkins, being in bad health, must
not be interfered with. All save 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 one of
was pretty enough for a girl" Then
one day Hathaway recommended his
taunts.
81 thought 1 told you," said Hen
derson, that the boy was to be let
alone"
well enough now."
II want you to understand" replied
Henderson, "that consider Tom Dor
kins a sick man."
"Sick, boshP' cried the crowd. Hes
we'll enough"
Hathaway, you let him alone. If
you are spelling for fight you can
have it with me-"
Gall 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-
this 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 trembling
hand when she handed her principal
his revolver.
"What's the matter with your re-
marked the opposing second, you're in
no danger, you little"- He broke off
suddenly at a glance from Henderson.
by dropping a hat. 1t is questionable
if the signal would have been given
had not the seconds hand trembled so
she couldn't hold 1t. At the first fire
Hathaway was unhurt; Henderson had
the top of his ear taken off. He con-
trived to keep his second from seeing it
by turning it from her. The two prin-
cipals stood ready for the second signal
when, suddenly, Mary saw blood on
Henderson's collar. This was more
than she could bear. Rushing to him
she threw herself on his chest, placing
herself between him and his adversary.
Henderson turned red as the comb Of
a cock.
"It's all up, boys" he said. tom
my's a gal"
With a wild hurrah the crowd hus-
tied the pair on to their horses and did
not stop till they had found parson to
marry them. Mary was married in
sombrero, boots and spurs. Before she
donned more appropriate brides at
tire she had to spend the savings of