Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1905-09-23
4 GIRL COWBOY
[Original.1

Mary Dorkins was told by her ply
stefan that she was threatened with
consumption and should trough it, in
! the west. Convinced that she could not
do SO advantageously in petticoats, 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 if a cowboy was wanted.
/ The superintendent looked her over
from head to foot and said:
whats your nameY
'"Tom Dorkins'
'Tenderfoot, l reckon
Eyes; I'm not very we'll. Doctor rec.
commended outdoor life"
It'll cure you, sure. But you'll die
| from another cause. The boys will
grind you to powder. However, if you
want to try it, go ahead"
If Tom Dorkins hadn't been some
thing Of an invalid he would have had
hard time Of it. AS it was, the cow
boys were disposed to take no cogni-
zance of him whatever One of them
set up a 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 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 Hathaway's insults induced
a GOODNESS 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 a certain
GOODNESS and dignity there were about
him, and asked him to bear 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 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?"
"Are you killed?" cried Mary.
KILLED? No. But I've lost 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 protege. Mary
grew stronger every day, and when
| the bloom came to her cheek one of
the boys remarked that the tenderfoot
was pretty enough for girl" Then
one day Hathaway recommended his
/ taunts.
IT thought / told you," said Hen
derson, "that the boy was to be let
| alone"
"That was because he was sick. He's
well enough now
IT want you to understand" replied
Henderson, "that I consider Tom Dor
kins sick man."
"Sick, bosh!' cried the crowd. "He's
we'll enough"
"Hathaway, you let him alone. If
you are spelling for a fight you can
have it with me-"
"All 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
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 you?" re-
marked the opposing second, you're in
no danger, you little'- He broke OF
suddenly at glance from Henderson.
Dorkins was to give the first signal
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 it. At the first fire
Hathaway was unhurt; Henderson had