The daily Alaskan., 1915-01-20
BLIND MANS FIGHT
 By Nj. QUAD Copyright, 1914, by the Mcclure Newspaper Syndicate
By NJ. QUAD


 States occurred at Santa Fe N M., many years ago. It occurred several vears 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 oy freight wagons or sent around Cape Horn by sea.
 Two men In a Rogers X Blair outfit fell in love with the same girl in santa l Fe. One was an American named Jack Hines, and the other was full blood ed Mexican. who wNs simply known as Don. The girl was huff breed, and none of us outside the two rivals thought her worth fighting over.
 The affair had gone on for seven or eight months before the outbreak came. We were in Santa Fe, making ready for a start east, when the MeXi' can one evening approached fire be- side which Hines sat alone and threw package of powder on the blaze. With a leap aside he escaped conSe- opcnces. but Jack Hines was blinded for life. It was q contemptibe thing 10 do. and but for the civil authorities the Mexican would have been lynch ed As it was, he was kicked and beaten and bounced out of camp, 4 day or two later. as the girl had gone 1 back on him, he tried to carry her oH 1 hv force. but had to let her go when ! she stabbed him Hines depended on Ecr uity in his misfortune. hHt She calmly told him that q blinI husband ! would be of no use to her aud laughed l n:s tears to scOrn He bet rr@tive in the city and was taken r ,Ia cared ! for while the Mexican crossed the Rio ! Gr.HGr for time. It was a year later, ] a.l Jacks old outfit ani all his friends 1 aa. narrd to hr in santa Fc again 1 when Ion returned He had grown 1 g.",r aul mrancr in the twelve 1 rr.,ns We would have picked fuss with him and shot him down, but Jack . Hines had no sooner heard of his pres ruye than he said:
 "BuyS. you must arrange for q duel. ] | sn@ll never rest content until have . GH.l that Mexican"
 "Hut you arc bliHd' We protested.
 Never Eiad that. must fight him ard rsn him. blind or not. and the who. santa 'e shall look on!' Whra ur found that he would have if SD ,yc carried a challenge to Don and also asked the authorities to let us have a public duel some weak ob- icctious were made but they yielded thc point A fight of some sort was an hourly incident, and ducs came or two or three times week
 "Ycs. | will meet the Americana" he eqiI. and will slice and cut and prick for one hour by the watch before { give him tue grand finish. The crowd that looks on will see some of the finest knife play ever shown on this side of the river. Tomorrow at noon, eh? I will be as prompt as the sum-
 i You may believe thar when the re- port spread about there was great excitement. 1t was generally believed that the blind man would fall an easy victim but even his best friends said that he had better die with knife In bis hand than to live in a helpless state the rest of his life. To three or fuur Jack confided his belief that he would triumph His hearing had be- ! come as acute as a fON'S, and he would make his ears see for him He was in perfect health. had the nerve and courage of lion and be believed be had a chance
 At high noon of an August day over 1000 people. many of whom were wom- cn. assembled on the smooth turf to witness the strange combat A ring Of ropes was formed, and the spectators formed another. It was tO be duel with knives. and seconds and referee were apnointed. After each five min utcS there was to be a rest Foremost among the spectators was the girl who had caused it all. and sue was free to l say she didn't care who triumphed. Each man was allowed t0 wrap his left arm in serape or cloak. and all cheer !n, or advising was forbidden. The blind man WIS pa'c faced "nd nervous aS tha fight began. but his hard shut teeth to,d of G.P dc:er:aluNtion in his heart The Mexican was all bows and Sn,.'rs and confidence. and as he was gnoun to be an adept with the knife a .gu"n went about the circle uS the two
 .tcrnvl forward ln open the fight.
 That duel WIS something to be re-
 Hrn,berrd for all time. From the blind man'a movements no one could have told tbat he was sightleSs. For four 5vc-minute rounds they fought with
 Hly few triainG scratches on either
 -lp. but if there was any advantage
 was on the side Of the American. who had the full sympathy of the
 rowd. MeXiCans and all When they
 anne out for the fifth round Don wink d and chuckled and said it was time he began slicing ears of Hines had located his man in a hairs breadth, md as they faced each other the Amer ican leaped forward like flash. caught the knife on his and threw it to the eft and the next instant his own blade . mad found the heart of the man who , had blinded him. We who were only . five feet away could not follow the movement. so swiftly was it made, but f was successful one and, of course, ,rlpd the fight. Hines told me that