The Daytona daily news. [volume] (Daytona, Fla.) 1903-1926, 1915-01-15
MANS
FIGHT
By NJ QUAD
BY NJ. QUAD


! many years ago 1t occurred several
years previous to the first Pacific rail
road and while yet every pound of
goods going to the far west had to be
! hauled across the great plains by
| freight wagons Or sent around Cape
Horn by sea
Two men in Il Rogers n Blair outfit
! fell in love with the same girl i'll Santa
/ Fc. One WAS an American named Jack
/ Hines. and the other was Il full blood
cd Mexican. who WAS simply known as
Don. The girl was Il half breed. and
none of us outside the two rivals
thought her worth lighting over
! The affair had gone on for seven or
eight months before the outbreak
came We were in Santa Fee. making
ready for start east. whrD :ae Next
! can one evening approached Il fire be-
side which Hines sat alone and threw
package of powder ON the blaze.
With Il leap II: de he escaped conse-
qucnccs. but Jack Hines was blinded
for life 1t was Il contrmptihle thing
to do, and but for the civil authorities
the Mexican would have been lynch
ed As ii was. he was kicked and
, beaten and bounced out of camp. A
day or two later. as the girl had gone
back on him. he tried to carry her Off
by force. but had to let her 80 when
she stabbed him Hines depended on
her pity in his misfortune, but she
calmly told him that a blind husband
would be of no use to her and laughed
his tears to scorn He had Il relative
In the city and was taken in and cared
for. while the Mexican crossed the Rio
Grande for II time. 1t was Il year later,
and Jacks old outfit and all his friends
happened to be in Santa Fe again
when Don returned. He had grown
uglier and mcaner In the twelve
months. We would have picked II fuss
with him ana shot him down. but Jack
Hines had no sooner heard of his pres
cncc than he said:
"Boys. you must arrange for duel.
| shall never rest content until | have
killed that Mexican"
but you are Blind" we protested.
Never mind that. | must fight him
and kill him. blind or not. and the
whole Of Santa Fee shall look ont"
When we found that he would have
It so we carried II challenge to Don and
also asked the authorities to let us
have n public duel Some weak OBJ.
jections were made. but they yielded
the point 4 fight OF some sort was
an hourly incident. and ducls came of
two or three times u week
Eyes. | will meet the Americana. he
said. land I will slice md cut and
prick for one hour by the watch before
! give him the grand finish! The crowd
that looks on will see some Of the finest
knife play ever shown on this side OF
the river Tomorrow mt noon. eh? l
will be as prompt as the sun"
You may believe that when the re-
port spread about there was great
excitement. It was generally believed
that the blind man would fall an easy |
victim. hut even his best friends said |
that he had better die with Il knife I'm |
his hand than to live In n helpless
state the rest Of his life. 70 three or
four Jack confdcd his belief that he |
would triumph. Ills hearing had be-
come as acute MS n foX's. and he
would make his ears see for him lie /
was In perfect health. had the nerve
and courage Of u lion and he believed
he had chance
At high noon Of nm August day over
1000 people many Of whom were wom-
en-, assembled on the smooth turf to
witness til" strange combat. A ring or
ropes was formed, and the spectators
formed another. II was To bc duel
with knives, and seconds and referee
were appointed. After each five min
,ItcY there was to be n rest Foremost
among the spectators was the girl who
had caused it all and she WAS free to
say she didn't care who triumpled.
Each man was allowed to wrap his lett
arm In n scrape or cloak. and all cheer
ing or advising was forbidden. The
blind man was pale faced and nervous
ms the fight began. but his hard shut
teeth told of The determination In his
heart The Mexican was all bows and
smiles and confidence. and as he was
known to be an adept with the knife
groan went about the circle as the two
strppcd forward 10 open the fight.
That duel WAS something to be re-
mcmb"rcd for all time From the blind
mans movements no one could have
told that he was sightlrss For four
five minute rounds they fought with
only few trif'ing scratches on either
side. but If there was any advantage
II was on the side of the American,
who Ind the full sympathy of the
crowd. Mcxioans and al When they
anne out for the fifth round Don wink
ID and chucklcd and said II was time
he began slicing ears off Hines had ,
located his man In II hairs breadth.
md ~ they faced each other the Amer.
can h.apeh forward like fash. caught
the knife on his and threw II to the
eft ard the next instant his own blade