Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-03-03


since he is still the Mock
ing Bird in Lone Pine.
He the handiest
man with cards that ever drew in Lone Pine.
He had Eastern clothes and looked like a 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 gambolier?
Of course any white man could be gentleman
and also gambolier in Lone Pine if he wanted to.
We didn't drawit too fine there There were just two
sorts of people in Lone Pine: the 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 post office
Hotel; but he 1oafed in Larrys, watching the play.
1t was the second night. he says to Larry, why
don't you work that end tablet"
Shy dealer. says Larry.
You are looking for me" says the Mocking Bird.
Larry looks at his hands, sees they amt working
hands and then says in his short way, It's yours.
Cut in
The Mocking Bird takes the end table and rifles
the deck, showing it into the box like man with
education, and Larry knew he'd found slick and
pleasant citizen. Nobody paid any attention to the
end table for awhile, but before the day broke
the hooking Bird had won some simoleons for the
to land like that, and when the Mock
ing Bird settled for the night he handed him
one of those gold twenties. Nobody but good
gambler gets twenty night for dealing, and when
Larry did that so lot of could see it he put the
Mocking Bird up the high limb 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 us that he was 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 have heard remarks.
Also at the table in Larrys he had peculiarities.
First hed take off his long coat fold it up carefully,
and give it to the Chinaman to put away Then he
would inhibition his cuffs and turn them back SO
they wouldn't soil the table. The Chinaman
would bring him long glass of water and put it
down convenient to his hand, and the Mocking Bird
ready for the game. After that first time when
he was being sociable with u.s. saw him
take a drink stronger than water.
By and by he bought horse, and sent all the
way to Frisco for the animal He rode out of
Purdy's stable day gray sxteen-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-for the house. any,
how-that he could look WELL could ride well, and
was full hand every way but He hadn't
answered one Lone Pine question Perhaps it
night at Larrys, and he showed what had all
been looking for.
Dirty Jim Thompson had come over from Phoebe
Dirty Jim was big and strong a bull He had
whlskers all over him. and offensive as man
can be and live in Phoebe. He couldn't live in Lone
Pine at all. He was a loafer and bad man, bad
all over. Dirty Jim used to make periodical of
Lone Pine.
Larry was sorry to see him hulkng into the place