Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1871-11-11
looked over the valley, and summed up
the present and future in two words

the present and future in two Words
sssnowed in !"
4 careful inventory of the provisions.
which. fortunately for the party, had been
stored within the hut, and so escaped the
felonious fingers of Uncle Billy. disclosed
the fact that with care and prudence they
might last ten days longer. THAT is,
said Mr.. Oakhurst, soto Uoce to the limo
cent, .'if you're willing to board us. Ii
YOU ain't-and perhaps you'd better not
YOU can wait till Uncle Billy gets back
with provisions For some occult reason
Mr.. Oakhurst could not bring himself to
disclose Uncle, Billy's rascality, and so
offered the hypothesis that he had wan
dered from the camp and had accidentally
stampeded the animals. He dropped a
warning to the Duchess and Mother Ship
ton, who of course knew the facts of their
associates detection. They'll find out
the truth about us all when they find out
anything" he added. significantly, land
there's no good frightening them now
Tom Simson not only put all his world
ly store at the disposal of Mr.. Oakhurst'
but seemed to enjoy the prospect OF theil
enforced seclusion. "Well have Sootu
camp for a week, and then the snow IL
melt, and well all 60 back together.
The cheerful gayety OF the young man.
and Mr. Oakhursts calm infected the
others The Innocent, with the aid of
pine bouehs, extemporized thatch for
the roofless cabin, and the Duchess di-
rected Piney in the Encouragement OF the
interior, with taste and tact that opened
the blue eyes of that provincial maiden to
their fullest extent. II reckon now you re
used to fine things at Poker Flat" said
Piney. The Duchess turned away sharply
to conceal something that redeemed her
cheeks through its professional tint, and
Mother Shipton requested Piaey not to
..chatter." But when Mr.. Oakhurst re-
turned from weary search for the trail.
he heard the sound of happy laughter
echoed from the rocks He stopped in
some alarm, and his thoughts first natural
" revited to the whskey, which he had
prudently cached "And yet it don't some
how sound like whiskey," said the gam
bier. 1t was not until he caught sight of
the blazing fire through the still binding
storm, and the group around it, that he
settled to the conviction that ii was "square
tun.n
Whether Mr.. Oakhust had cached his
cards with the whiskey, as something de-
barred the free access of the community,
] cannot say. 1t was certain that, in.
Mother Symptoms words, he ''didn't say
cards once" during the evening. HAPPY
the time was beguiled by an accordion.
produced somewhat ostentatiously by
Tom Simson from his pack. Notwithstand-
ing some difficulties attending the mani
pulatien of this instrument, Piney Woods
managed to pluck several reluctant melo-
dies from its keys, to an accompaniment
. by the Innocent on pair of bone castinets.
But the browning festivity of the evening
was reached in rude camp-meetng hymn
which the lovers, joining hands, sang
with great earnestness and vociferation |
fear that certain defiant tone and cove
nanter's swing to its chorus, rather than
any devotional quality, caused it speedily
to infect the others, who at last joined in
the refrain -
"I'rn proud to live in the service of the Lord,
And Pm bound TO die in his army"
The pines rocked, the storm eddied and
whirled above the miserable group, and
the flames of their altar leaped heaven
ward, as if in token of the vow.
At midnight the storm abated, the roll
ing clouds parted, and the stars glittered
keenly above the sleepingcamp. Mr..
Oakhurst, whose professional habits had
enabled him to live on the smallest possible
amount of sleep, in dividing the watch
with Tom Simson, somehow managed to
take upon himself the greater part of that
duty. He excused himself to the Innocent
by saying that he had often been a week
without sleep" Doing what ?" asked
Tom. 'Poker!" replied Oakhurst, SEN
tentiously; ''when man gets streak of
luck,-nigger-luck, he don't get tired
The luck gives in first Luck" continued
the gambler, refectively, ''is a mighty
queer thing. All you know about it for
certain, is that it's going to change And
it's finding out when it's going to change
that makes you. We've had a streak OF
bad luck since we left Poker Flat,-you
come along and slap you get into it, too
If you can hold your cards right along
you're all right. For" added the gambler
with cheerful irrelevance,-
.Tm proud to live in the service of The Lord.
And Pm bound to die in his army"
The third day came, and the sun, look
- ing through the white-curtained valley,
saw the outcasts divide their slowly de-
creasing store of provisions for the morn
ing meal. 1t was one of the peculiarities
of that mountain climate that its rays diff
fused kindly warmth over the wintly
landscape, as ifin regretful commiseration
of the past. But it revealed drift on drift
of snow piled high around the hut--a hope
less, uncharted, trackless sea of white w.
ing below the rocky shores to which the
castaways still chung, Through the mar
vellously clear air the smoke of the pastor
al village of Poker Flat rose miles away.
Mother Shipton saw it, and from remote
pinnacle OF her rocky fastness, hurled in
that direction final malediction. 1t was
her vituperative attempt, and perhaps for
that reason was invested with a certain
degree of sublimity 1t did her good she
privately informed the Duchess. Just
you go out there and cuss and see" She
then set herselfto the task of amusing ''the
child as she and the Duchess were pleas
ed to call Piney. Piney was no chicken,
but it was soothing and original theory
of pair. thus to account for the fact
th''e she didn swear and wasn't improp-
er.