The Roswell daily record. [volume] (Roswell, N.M.) 1903-current, 1907-12-19
A GIRL COWBOY
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consumption and should rough it, in
the west Convinced that she could not
do so advantageously in p~etticoats, she
donned man attire and, with money
to take her to the cattle grounds, tart
&c out In search of health.
One morning she appeared at a ranch
and asked Ii a cowboy was wanted.
The superintendent Iooked her over
from head to foot and said:
What's your nameF'
tom Dorkins-"
"Tenderfoot, | reckon-"
Yes; I'm not very well. 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 1t, go ahead"
If Tom Dorkins hadn't been some
thing of an invalid he would have had
a hard time of it AS it was, the cow
boys were disposed to take no cogni-
lance 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 withou
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 ex-
pected to win back his money at the
next sitting.
Then commenced a number of petty
insults and a~nnoyances from the faro
dealers which had Mary been a man
would have been unbearable. As it
was, h 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 a message
for her
Can you shoot, Tommy" 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 a howl and seeing Hen
derson's hand covered with blood, she
burst into tears.
You little DOL! 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 a part of
my thumb"
A tttis latter Henderson and the ten
derfoot were observed standing very
close together. the latter binding up the
formers thumb with a handkerchief
From hat dag Henderson gave out
that Dorkins, being in bad health. must
not be Interfered with. ALI 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, n when
the bloom came to her cheek one of
the boys remarked that the tenderfoot
was pretty enough for a girl" Then
one day Hathaway recommended his
taunts.
uOAShL i OAu yOdT SoAo AANh
derson, that the boy was to be let
alone"
THAT was because he was sick He's
well enough now"
81 want you to understand replied
Henderson, that / consider o Dor
kins a sick man."
Sick. boshr" cried the crowd Hes
we'll enough"
IN i. wv lo% him nInno
you are spelling for a fight you can
have 1t with me-"
al right" said Hathaway. you
send your baby boy to me with the
message he asked you to bring"
And SO 1t was arranged that Hender-
SON and Hathaway should fight. But
this did mot 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 off
suddenly mt glance from Henderson.
Dorkins was to give the first signal
by dropping a nat 1t is questionable
if the signal would have e given
had mot the seconds hand trembled so
she couldn't hold IL At the first fire
Hathaway was unhurt: Henderson had
the top OF his ear baker Off He con-
trived TO keep his second from seeing II
by turning IL from her. The two prin-
cipais stood ready for the second signal
when. suddenly. Mary saw blood 0 n
Henderson's collar. This WAS more
than ehe could bear Rushing co him