Daily press. [volume] (Newport News, Va.) 1896-current, 1907-03-12
" tShe MocklNa Rwa
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We used to call him the Mocking
Bird around Lone Pine. He got that
name the first day he landed. lie was
tluffing up Il deck at one of the side
tables. when Old Man Henderson rode
up and lounged into Larry's for IL
drink. The stranger was rlffling the
pasteboards in an absent minded sort
OF way and whistling to himself Old
Man Henderson waved us all up to
the bar, and took in the stranger. 1T
goes for you too, Mociing Bird" said
Henderson. Then the stranger calls
all hands, and we have one on him
That was his christening, and if
things have changed some with him
since, he is still the Mocking Bird in
Lone Pine.
He was the handiest man with cards
that ever drew one in Lone Pine. He
had Eastern clothes, and looked like
fellow with straight blood behind
him. He lived up to his name all
right; for he was singer. He had
one favorite hymn he used to pipe up
whenever he got in wrong. 1t ran:
Can any white man be gentleman.
And also a sambolier?
OF course, any white man could be
gentleman and also a gamboler in
Lone Pine il he wanted to. We didn't
draw it too fine there. There were
just two sorts of people in Lone Pine:
the ones who went by their real
names and got letters from home and
all that, and the others who called
themselves whatever they liked and
never went to the postoffice.
The Mocking Bird was hanging out
at Purdy's Hotel; but he loafed in
Larry's, watching the play. 1t was
the second night, he says to Larry,
why don't you work that end table,"
.Shy dealer" says Larry.
You are looking for me-" says the
Mocking Bird.
Larry looks at his hands, sees they
aint working hands. and then says in
hisssbort way, Its yours. Cut in."
The Mocking Bird takes the end
table and rifles the deck, showing it
into the box like man with ednca-
ton, and Larry knew he'd found a
slick and pleasant citizen. Nobody
paid any attention to the end table
for awhile, but before the day broke
the Mocking Bird had won some ST.
moleons for the house, and had made
a rep. Larry was tickled all over
to land a man like that, and when
the Mocking Bird settled for the night
he handed him one of those gold
twenties Nobody but a good gambler
gets twenty night for dealing, and
when Larry did that SO lot of us
could see it he puts the Mocking Bird
up on the high limt, in this town. He
went up from the end table to the
head of the line mighty soon after
he hired out to Larry.
All at once it dawned on us that
he was Il dude The Mocking Bird
sent to Frisco for his clothes. don't
believe any other man in Lone Pine
could have been SO fussy about his
garments and got away with it as he
did; he'd have heard remarks. Also
at the table in Larry's he had pecu.
liarities. First he'd take off his long
coat, fold it up carefully, and give it
to the Chinaman to put away. Then
he would unbutton his cuffs and turn
them back SO they woldn't soil on the
table. The Chinaman would bring
him a long glass OF water and put il
down convenient to his hand, and the
Mocking Bird was ready for the game
After that first time when he was
being sociable with us, no man ever
saw him take a drink stronger than
water.
BY and by ne bought horse, ant
sent all the way to Frisco for the
animal. He rode out of Purdy's stable
one day on gray sixteen-hand fellow
that looked like thoroughbred. How
he did fit the saddle! And he made
such pet of the big gray that the
thoroughbred would whinny when he
heard him coming, and when he dis
mounted would follow him like dog
.We knew he could deal well--fo
the house. anyhow-that he could lool
well could ride well, and was full
hand every way but one. He hadn'
answered one Lone Pine question
Perhaps 1t was because he hadn't hat