The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1878-02-09
The Outcasts of Poker Flat


ny BRET IIARTE.
l.Nr John Oakhurst, gambler, step
- into the main street Of Poker Flat
the morning Of the 23d Of November
IA he WA conscious Of change in il
mo,,l atmosphere sinCe the preceding
r,vbt Two or three men, converting
s,,ns.lly together, ceased rs he approach
4 and exchsuged significant glances
r6.re was Sabbath lull in the air
,S,rb. in 4 settlement unused TO Sab
l,,b influences, looked ominOus.
Mr. Utkhurst's calm, handsome face
,.lf,yed small concern in these indica'
,ion. Whether he was conscious OF any
y,di.po.ing cause, was another question
Z ,erEon they're after somebody" he re-
4,ct,j. "likely ia me-" lie returned to
Ii. rookie. the handkerchief with which
h. 6,d been whipping away the red dust
Of Poker Flat from his neat boots, and
gaie,ly discharged his mind OF any fur
,arr conjecture.
In poln, Of fact, Poker Flat was "aiter
.ouebodv." II had lately suffered the
la. Of several thousand dollars, two val
p,blp horye4, and prominent citizen. II
va experiencing spasm Of virtuous re-
,rtion. uuite ~ lawless and ungovernable
4. any OF the aCls that had provoked it,
A secret committee had determined to rid
the town Oi all improper persons. This
VA. done permanently in regard OF two
men who we're then hanging from the
bon,h. Of a sycamore in the gulch, and
temporarily 10 the Punishment OF certain
other Objectionable characters, ] regret
Ia .4v that aome Of these were ladies. II
/, but due to the sex, however, to state
thit their improperly was professional
sal il WA only in such easily established
standards of evil that Poker Flat ven
rlfrl to lit IN Judgment.
Mr.. Oakhurst was right in Supposiug
th,t he was included in this category. a
lev OF the committee had urged hanging
him a. possible example, and a SURF
ur,hOd oi reimbursing themselves from
hi. pockets Of the sums he had won from
them. "lt4 agin justice" said jim
Wheeler, ITO let this yer young man Iron
Roaring Camp-an entire stranger-car
uaway our money" But crude senti
nent Of equity, residing in the breasts Of
tho.e who had been fortunate enough tt
vim from Mr.. Oakhurst. oyerruled thi
narrower local prejudice.
Mr.. UAkhurst received hi4 sentence
with philosophic calmness, none the lea
ooolly that he was aware Of the hesita
ton Of his Judges. He waS too much o
gambler not 10 accept Fate.
With him life was at best al
uncertain game, and he recognized
The usual percentage in favor Of the deal
RI. 4 body Of armed men accompanied
the deported wickedness OF Poker Fla
10 the outskirts OF the settlement. Be
sides Mr.. OAkhursi, who was known t,
Il coOlly desperate man, and Tor who's
Intimidation the armed eScort WA in
tended, the expatriated party consisted
Of a Young woman familiarly known a
"The Duchess" another, who had VOL
lhetille Of "AIother Shipion;' and "Uncl
Rly,"a suspected sluice.rObbcr and con
'hrnel drunkard. The cavalCade pro
voked no comments from the spectators
nor wa. any word uttered by the escort
Oaly, when the gulch which marked tn
uWtrmo.t limit OF Poker Flat wa
reached, the leader spoke briefly and II
The point. The exlles were forbidden I,
return, at the peril Of their lives. As tn
escort disappeared, their pent.up feeling
found vent in few hysterical tears iron
the Duchess, some bad language from
Mother Shipton, and a Parthian wolfe!
oI eEpletives from Uncle Billy. Thu
IhilOsuphic Olkhurst alone remained
silent. lie listened calmly 10 Mother
Shipton4 desire to cut somebody's hear
out to the repeated statements oil III!
DiChe.. that she would die in the road
ani to the alarming oaths that seemed L
!. bumped out Of Uncle Billy "a he rOdu
forward. With the easy good-humoj
chiuc,eri.lic Of his class, he insisted
upon exchanging hiS own riding. horse
Five Spot," Tor the sorry mule which tn
Dlchess rode. But even this act did no
diaE the party into any closer sympathy
The young woman readjustcd her some
Shit dragslei plumes with feeble, fadet
roquetry; Mother Sbipton eyed the pos
te'.cr d Five Spot" with maleyolence
sod Uncle Billy included the whole part!
To one sweeping anNthema.
The road To Sandy lSar-a camp that
not having A. yet experienced the regen'
Grating iulurnce Of Poker Flat, conse'
qlenlIy seemed To otlcr some invitation
10 the emiGramts-lSy over II Pteep noun
tan range. 1t was distant a dayA sever,
travel, In that advanced season, tn
party soon passed out Of the moist, tenn
fe'a'e region Of the foothills, into tn,
'liy, cold, brlcing air OF the SierrAs
lie trail WA narrow and difficult. a
noon the Duchess, rolling ont Of her cad
Gle upon tile ground, declared her inten
,on o! going no further, and the part.
Ihe, spot wac ,ingularly wild and i'm
ptrs'ive. A wooded amphitheatre, sur
rounded on three sides by PERCEPTION
slla,o naked granite, sloped gently to
ward the cteSt Of another preCimce tina
overlooked the valley. II was, undoubt
guy, the most suitable spot for camp
hM camping been advisable. But Mr.
oAShHr't knew that scarcely half tn
lol'ney 10 Sandy Bar WA accomplished
All Tie party were not equipped or pro
Honed Tor DELAY. This TACT he pointet
neutrality-suspicious. Curtly, with philo
9Pmccommentary on the folly oi"throw
pup their hands before the game wa
ENtd out" But they were Furnished
ala liquor, which in lhis emergenc,
'Noi them nplscr Of food, fuel, rest, an
','cisEce spite Of his remonstrance,
va not long before they were more o
=" under ia influence. Uncle Bill
pastt rapidly from II bellicose state int
SIleoi 'iaPor, the Duchess became maud
S Sa, and Mother Shipion snorei. Nj
Ni.alr't alone remained erect, leanin
is,lh't a rock, calmly surveying them.
W. OAkhnrst did not drink. 1t intel
t',i with u profession which require
sVolG,e'', impasSivenesS, and presence {
Ilnl, and, in his own Language, h
@aldn't Afford it." As he gaEed at hi
iNanOehI iellow.exiles, the lonelines
isIsoIien OF his plriah.trade, HE habits c
W, biz very vices, for the frat time 81
''0u'Iy oppressed him. He besIirred hin