Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1897-12-04
bower, comprised all the

handed say you an me agin some other
ducks, we'd have made four in that deal.
sparkled. Uncle inns also, had a slight
tremulous light in his one.
On, no! L didn't see, no three crows this
afternoonr' added UNCLE Billy gleefully. as
cards with laborioIs and conscientious ,ex-
actitude. Then dealing, he turned up a
heart for trumps.,: Unite Billy took up his
cards ca one by one, put when he had finished
his face had become as pale as 1t had been
red before. ''Wh4ts the NATTER" said
Uncle Jim quickly. his own face growing
Uncle Billy slowly. and with breathless
awe. laid down his cards. face up. on the
table 1t was exactly the sequence in
He could again tf Ike every trick.
They stared at each other with vacant
faces and half-drawn smile of fear.
They could hear the wind moaning in the
trees beyond: there was a sudden rattling
feet, but Uncle Jim caught his arm. Don't
leave the cards! It's only the wind; sit
down. he said. in low, awe-hushed voice:
its your deal; you were two before, and
two now, that makes you four; you've
only one point to make to win the game.
&C on
They both poured out a cup of whisky,
smiling vaguely, yet with a certain ter
the cards slipped from Uncle Billy's be-
numbed fingers; when he had shuff1ed them
he passed them to his partner TO shuii!e
them also, but did not speak When Uncle
Jim had shufi1ed item methodlcaIy ne
haIded them back fatefully to his part
rer. Uncle Billy dealt them with trem-
bling hand. He turned up club. III you
are sure of these tricks you know you've
won," said Uncle Jim, in a voice that was
scarcely audible. Uncle Billy did not re-
ply, but TREMENDOUSLY laid down the ace ana
right and left bowers.
He had won!
A feeling of ral,ef came over EACH and
they laughed Historically and discordant-
ly. Ridiculous and childish as their con-
test might have seemed to a looker-on. TO
each the tension had been as great as tnat
of the greatest gambler, without the gam
bler's trained restraint, GOODNESS ana COM
posture. Uncle Billy nervously took up the
cards again.
DON'T said Uncle Jim, gravely; 'its no
use-the lucks gone now"
Just one more DEAL" pleaded his part
ner.
Uncle Jim looked at the fire. Uncle Billy
hastily dealt and threw the two hands
face up the table They were the or
binary average cards. He dealt again, with
the same result. Il told you So" said
Uncle Jim, without looking up.
It certainly seemed a tame performance
after their wonderful hands, and after an
other trial Uncle Billy threw the cards
aside and drew his stool before the fire.
Mighty queer, warn't it?' he said with
reminiscent awe. Three times running! Do
you know, 1 felt a kind O. creepy feelin'
down my back all the time. Cricky! what
luck! None of the boys would believe 1t
len, who don't believe in luck, anyway.
Wonder what he'd have said. and. Lord.
how he'd have looked! Wall! what are
you Starin' so for?''
gazing at Uncle Billy's good-natured. sim
pie face. "Nothin'!" he said briefly, and
his eyes again sought the fire.
Then don't look if you was seem
li ma thn raf,1 nod
Uncle Billy a little petulantly. Lets turn
m-afore the fire goes OUT!
The fateful cards were put back in the
drawer. the table showed against the wall
The operation of undressing was quickly
got over, the clothes they wore being put
on top of their blankets. Uncle Billy yawn-
ed. L wonder what kind of dream I'll
have tonight-it oughter be suthin to ex-
plain that luck" This was his good
night to his partner. In few moments
he was sound asleep.
Not so Uncle jim. He heard the wind
gradually go down, and in the oppressive
silence that followed could detect the deep
breathing of his companion and the far-off
ye'p of coyote. His eyesight becoming
accustomed to the semi-darkness. broken
only by the scintiliation of the dying en-
bers of their fire. he could take in every de-
tail of their sordid cabin, and the rude en-
vironment In which they had lived SO long.
The dismal patches on the bark roof, the
wretched makeshffts Of each day, the
dreary prolongation OF discomfort, were all
plain to him now, without the sanguine
hope that had made them bearabe. And
when he shut his eyes upon them, 1t was
only to travel in fancy down the steep
mountain side that he had trodden so often
to the dreary claim on the overlooked river
to the heaps of "tailings" that incumbered
it, ike empty shells of the hollow, profit
less days spent there. which they were all
ways waiting for the stroke of good for
tune to clear away. He saw again the
rotten "sluicing," through whose hopeless
q ~ h01n nyyNy, th1ir
ings had become scanter. At last he arose.
and with infinite gentleness let himself
down from his berth without disturbing
his sleeping partner. and wrapping himself
in his blanket, went to the door, which he
noiselessly opened From the position of a
few stars that were glittering in the north
ern sky he knew that it was yet scarcely
midnight-there were still long, restless
hours before the day! In the feverish state
into which he had gradually worked him
self 1t seemed to him impossible to wait
the coming of the dawn.
But he was mistaken. For even as he
stood there all nature seemed to invade
his humble cabin with its free and fra
grant breath. and invest him with its great
companionship. He felt again, in that
breath, that strange sense of freedom
that mystic touch of partnership with the
birds and beasts. the shrubs and trees, in
this greater home before him. 1t was this
vague communion that had kept him there
that still held these world-sick weary
workers In their rude cabins on the slopes
around hinl-and he felt upon his brow that
balm that had nightly lulled him and them
to sleep and forgetfulness. He closed the
door. turned away. crept as noiselessly as
before into his bunk again. and presently
fell into a profound slumber.
But when Uncle Billy awoke the next
morning he saw 1t was late, for the sum-
piercing the crack of the closet door, was
sending a percil Of light across the cold
hearth. like a match to rekindle its dead
embers. His first thought was of his
strange luck the night before, and Of dis
appointment that he had not had the dream
of divination that he had looked for He
sprang to the floor, but as he stood upright
his glance fell on Uncle Jim's bunk 1t was
empty. Not only that, but his blankets
Uncle Jim's own particular blankets-were
gone!
A sudden revelation of his partners man
ner the night before struck him now with
the cruelty of blow; sudden intelligence
perhaps the very divination he had
sought-fiashed upon him like lightning!
He glanced wildly around the cabin. The
table was drawn out from the wall a little
ostentatiously. as if to catch his eye On
it was lying the stained chamois skin purse
in which they had kept the few grains of
gold remaining from their last weeks
clean up" The grains had beer carefully
divided, and half been taken! But near it
lay the little memorandum book, open,