, 1869-02-07
WILD LIFE m CALIFORNIA,
The 0utces = o.puk rF.a.

lLto the main street OF Poker flaf On the
morning Of the sd Of November, 1851, he
EoaphcEe from ahn preceding night. Twu
or three men, eonTr5aipg earnestly together,
eeascd as he approecheu, aud exchanged sig
nl6eant Glancrs. There was Sabbath. lu1l
IN the ali, which, IN settlement unused to
Sabbath Influences, l!ook.d ouinou..
Nj. Oakhq1st's caln', handsome face b.
trAytd small concern OF these Indications.
Whether he Was CONSCIOUS Of any ptedis.
| posting cxuse, WAS another question. n
reckon they re alter something he reflected;
sHkelg LIS me-" He returned to hts pocket
the handkerchief With which he had been
Tiplns away the rcd dust Of Poker Flat from
his neat boots, ana {quie1ly discharged his
nird ot any further conjecture. :.
In point Of fact, Poker Flat was "aiter
somebody" It had 1atelF suffered tho loss
OF several thousand dollars, two valuable
horses and prominent citizen. It wna ex-
peFaenc'nR spasn Of virtuons reaction, quite
as unEoVernabte rs any Of the acts whiea had
provoked It. A secrst committee had deter.
mined to rid the town OF at improper per.
sous- Ibis was done permanently III rc.snrd
Of tTo mrn who were then haceing nom the
boushs q sycamore in the gulch, mud tenn
po1sFiiy IN The Punishment oi certain other
objectionable charac1ers- I regret to say
that some Of these were ladies. It Is but due
10 the scx, however, to state that their i'm
propriety was professional, aud II was only
IN such easily established standards Of cyf:
that Poker lat yenturcd to sit |, judgment.
"; oakhur:t was right In supposing
That he EAs included In Ibis category. AfrW
CT tie committee had urged hanging him ~
possible example, and cure method OF re-
lmhuEsing 2 themselves from hi. pockets of tho
sums he had Won from them. "ltfs agia Jus
tiec," esid Jim Wheeler, "to le. this yr,
young man from Roaring Csmp-sn entire
crude sentiment Of equity reading IN ,he
enough 10 win tfom Mr. Oskhurst, oyerrujed
tllis narrower local prejrdies.
". uakhurst rcctlsed hls sentence with
phiiosoPhtc calmncss, none the less coolly,
that he was aware Of the hesItspcv OF lii
judges. Rc was too much Of a CANT not
to accept late. With him life was 1t bes: m
umcertaln game, and he sccorufzcd the usual
percentage IN favor OF the dealer.
a body Of armed men accompanied the de-
ported wickedncss Of Poker Flat to the out
skirts Of The settlement. Bea1dcs Mr. Oak
ate man. acd for who.e intimidation the
armed escort was Intended, the expauisted
party consisted OF young woman famlliarIy
Rno~n as he Duchess" another, who had
gained the intellcitons title OF Mother shin-
toe; snd uncle. Billy" . suspected s1ulce.
cadc provoked no comments from the SPEC
tators, nor was any word ut cred bF tho es.
cort. Only when the gu]ch Which marked
tho uttcrmost limit OF Poker Flat was
rcschcd, the leader spoke hricdy and to the
POM: IT. I9e :9, exues were forbidden to rcturn
A. tho escort disappeared, their pept.
up feelings fonnd vent in . few hys:eri.
eal tears from "lhe Duchess," eoma
bad language from Mother shinion. and
: Parthelau volle5 Offer xpletlves nom Cncla
Billy. The phllosothic Oakhurst Alone ,e-
~ In ri I'll f.&. A.
shipton's desire to cut somebody's hcartout,
% the repea'ed ttatements Of "Tho Duchess's
that sao would die In the road, and 10 the
u smlns oat1!s That seemed 10 be bumped
out Of lnclc Rl!ly Is he rode forward. With
tne easy good hunor charactcsiatic OF bis
ridlag-hore " Five spot" ior the Sorry mule
which tho Duchess rode. But eyrn thI, act
did not draw the party into any c1oaor tYtu-
pathY The young woman re1dJnsted he.
:omsWhat dtaEelsa p3uuss wish q teeb1e,
laaed eoqne',y; Mother shipton eyed the
and utcie Bully lnclua.d the whole party in
one sweeping anathema.
The road TO Sandy Bar-a camp that
not having As Jet experienced the re-
generating. influences OF Poker Flat,
consequently seemed to otter some inyt-
mountain range. Il Eas distant days Sc
Tere Journey. In that advanced season, tho
party soon passed ont OF the moist, teupxra.e
EeRiona Of the foothills, inlo tha dry, cold,
b1aclng air Of the SicH Has The trsl was
narrow and difficult. At noon the Duchess,
rolling out o! her saddle upon the grouud,
dec a1ed her intention Of going no further.
and the party hn]sed.
The xGot was flugular'5 wild and impress
size. A wooded nmphithca.5r, surrounded
on three sides bE pseelpitous clffa OF naked
granite. rlopsd gently toward the crest Of
another p1ecipsce that overlooked thu valley.
II Fas undoubtedly the mos. .uisahle spot
for camp, had camping been advisable. Bat
Mr. Oakhurst know That scarcely half tho
journey to candy Bar was accomplished,
and the party. were not equipped
or, provisioncd for delay. This iacs be
g9;nhssd g;1h 1,;'1 out IT, to his companion. eusily,
Of Throwing up their haud before the game
was played ont" Dut they were furnished
With liquor, which in this emergency stood
them IN placo OF food, fuel, rest aud pres
elense. In tpiie Of his remonstranecs, it was
its ftfuence. Uncle Billy passed rapidly
from eellicose state into one of stupor. the
Duchess btcame maudlin, and Mother Ship
ton snorca. Mr. Oakhurst 1lonc remained
erect, leaning against rock, calmly survey
ST.. oakhurst did not drink, It iusera.rca
with q profession which 1qulrrd csolucss,
!mpassiyeness and presence Of mind, and, til
his own language, he s1couldn't afford it,
As he razed 1t his reeumbcnt Gllow-c1-
.les, the loneliness beg :tten OF hIs parish
ttade. t1s habits Of life, bis very vices, for the
nI.t a,, tins 1s tesionsly oppressed hin. he be-
washing his hands and lace, and other acts
CHARACTERISTIC Of his ssudiously neat
hahlts, and :for moment forgot
bis annoyance. The thought OF
aesefting BIS weaker and more pitiaole com
pauious never pcrhaps occurred to hin. Yet
-ae caald aQt aslQ feeling The Kan& att shat ex;;
conductse to tnat calm equanlmiiy fur which
he Was notorious. He locked at the gloomy
walls thar rose thousand feet sheer: aboye
ne circl3ox pines around hIm at the sky,
on,nousi5 eaaan elonded ss The ral'ey below, A.
10, suddsniy he heard his own namo called,
:. 4 hotseman slowly nscended the trail, In
the fresh, open face OF tho newcomer, Nj,
OAkhurst recognfzea Tom Sluson, otherwise
known as Thu tnnosent'' of sandy Bar.
little game" and had, With perfect equa-
isls .nat sulieIsss iIhs soaih. !oa Aiisr de!r
the game was fuished, Mr.. Uakhurtt Dire.
The youthful speculator behind the door and
good little man, but you can's gamble worth
. cent. Don't Try It. over again" He then
handed him hts money back, pushed bin
gently from the room, and TO made de-
voted slave OF Tom Sln<ou.
There Was = remembrance of this In bis
ooyish and enthusiastic greeting Of str. Oak
hu.at. Hc had started, ho raid, to go 70
Poker Flat to seek his fortune. " Aone*"
No. not exactly alone IN tact-a gIggle-he
had run Away with Piucy Wonds. Didn't
Nj. -takhurst remember Pincy? She that
nsed to TAit on Tie table At the Temperance
House They had been engaged long time,
and 80 they had run away, aud
were, going 10 Poker Flat to bo married,
and here they were. And they were tired
out, and bow lucky 1t WIS they had found
place to entuP ana company. All this The
Innocent delivered rapidly. while Piney-
. stout, comely dansef Of nfsecn-enerccd
from behind the pinc tree, where sho bad
been biushtng uuaeen, aud rode to the AIDE
Mr.. Uakhurst seldom troubled himself
with sentiment. Still lees with prop.1ety.
But be had vngue Idea that the situation
Vas not feltcitous: He rclslned, however,
uncle Billy who WAS about to say some-
thing, and Uncle Billy was sot>er enough to |
recognize In Nj. Oakhursl'z kick = superior
power thai would not tear tst1inE. He then |
endearortd to.dt:suadc Tom Bltnsuu from do |
laying further, but in vaia. He cvcn potnt-
rcr rneans Of making = camp. But, unluck.
uy, - The Innocent met t6ls objection by
nssuring the party that he WIS provided with |
an extra mule loaded with psovla1oos, aud by
The discovery of rudo attempt 1t i loE. house
Oakhurss," )" said The Innocent, pointing TO
the Duehcts, "and eau shit for myseli.n
itthipR hat Mr.. D1khurst's admonphtur |
foot sared Uncle Billy from burt&iug into I
roar Of laughter. Asit wAs, be felt compelled !
to retire up tha canon until ho could recover |
bis gravity. There be coufded tho Joke 70 /
the tail pine trees, with many slaps Of his leg,
contortions Of his face, and tue usual profani. |
y. Bat when hn returned to the psrty, he |
tound them sealed By . 6re--sor til. air had |
Ezpwu strangely chill and the sky oyercass-