Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1913-04-08
THE OUTCASTS OF
g: POKER FLAT %:
By BRET H A r T E

As Mr.. John Oakhurst, gampiel
stepped into the main street OF Pokei
Flat on the morning Of the twenty
third or November, 1850, he was con-
scious Of a change In its mora sh+ a'iT1s Two
phere since the preceding night. Two
or three men, conversing earnestly TO-
gether. ceased as he approached, and
exchanged significant glances. There
was a Sabbath lull in the air, wnicn'
in a settlement unusued to Sapoath
influences, looked oTnious.
MIR. Oakhurst's calm, handsome face
BETRAYED small concern in these indi.
cations. Whether he was conscious OF
any predisposing cause was another
question. "I reckon they're after
somebody." he remarked; 'likely it's
me" He returned to his pocket the
handkerchief with which he had been
whipping away the red dust OF Poker
Flat from his neat boots, and quietly
discharged his mind Of any further
conjecture.
In point Of fact, Poker Flat was "af-
ter somebody" 1t had lately suffered
the loss of several thousand dollars,
two valuable horses and prominent
citizen. 1t was experiencing spasm
of virtuous reaction, quite as iawiess
and ungovernable as any OF the acts
that had provoked 1t. secret COM
mittee had determined to rid the town
of all improper persons. This was done
permanently in regard OF two men
who were then hanging from the
boughs Of q sycamore in the gulcn,
and temporarily in the banishment OF
certain other Objectionable characters.
/ regret to say that some or these were
ladies. It Is but due to the sex, now
ever, to state thst their impropriety
was professional, and 1t was only IN
such easily established standards OF
evil that Poker Flat ventured to SIT In
Judgment.
Mr, Oakhurst was right in suppos-
ing that he was included in this cate
CORY. A few of the committee had
urged hanging him as a posslple ex-
ample, and a sure method OF reln-
bursting themselves from his pockets
Of the sums he had won from tnen.'
''It's agin Justice" said Jim Wheeler,
ito let this yer young man from roar
ing Camp-an entire stranger-carry
away, our money" But a crude SEN
timent of equity residing in the breasts
of those who had been fortunate
enough to win from Mr.. Oakhurst
overruled this narrower local pre,u-
dice.
with philosophic calmness, none the
less coolly that he was aware OF tne
neSlIallOn OI HIS JuO6Co. Az 49,
much of a gambler not to accept Fate
with him life was at best an uncertain
game. and he recognized the usual per-
centage in favor of the dealer.
A body of armed men accompanied
tbe deported wickedness Of Poker Fiat
TO the outskirts Of the settlement. BE-
sides Mr.. Oakhurst, who was known 10
be A coolly desperate man, and lot
whose intimidation the armed escort
was intended, the expatriated party
consisted Of young woman famiilariy
Known as "The Duchess" another,
who had won the title of Mother Ship
tom and Uncle Billy" suspected
sluice robber and confirmed drunk
ard. The cavalcade provoked no COM
uents from the spectators, nor was
any word uttered by the escort. only
when the gulch which marked the W
termost limit Of Poker Flat was reach-
ed, the leader spoke briefly ana 10 tne
point. The exfles were forbidden 10
return at the peril Of their lives.
AS the escort disappeared, their
pent-up feelings found vent In a rev
hysterical tears from the Ducness'
some bad language from Mother Ship
ton and a Parthian volley Of expletives
from Uncle Billy. The philosophlo
Oakhurst alone remained silent He
listened calmly to Mother symptom
desire to cut somebody's heart out 70
the repeated statements OF the Duch,
ess that she would die In the road, ano
to the alarming oaths that seemed 10
he bumped out of Uncle Billy as ne
rode forward With the easy good hu-
NOR characteristic Of his class, he In
sisted upon exchanging his own rid
ing horse, Five Spot, for the sorry
mule which the Duchess rode. But
even this act did not draw the party
into any closer sympathy. The young
woman readjusted her somewhat
draggled plumes with feeble, tadeo
coquetry; Mother Shipton eyed the
lence, and Uncle Billy included, tne
whole party in one sweeping anathe-
ma.
The road to Sandy Bar-a camp
that. not having as yet experienced
the regenerating influences or PoKer
Flat consequently seemed to oner
some invitation to the emigrants-lay
over a steep mountain range. 1t was
distant a days severe travel. In that
advanced season the party soon pass
ed out of the moist, temperate regions
of the foothills into the dry, COLO,
bracing air OF the Sierras. The trial
was narrow and difficult. At noon the
Duchess, rolling out of her saddle upon
the ground, declared her intention OF
going no further and the party halted,
The spot was singularly wild and
impressive. A wooden ampitheatre
surrounded on three sides by precipi,
tious cliffs of naked granite, slopeo
gently toward the crest OF another
precipice that overlooked the valley II
was, undoubtedly. the most suitable
spot for a camp, had camping been ad-
yisable. But Mr. Oakhurst knew that
scarcely half the journey to Sandy Bar
was accomplished and the party were
not equipped or provisioned for delay
This fact he pointed out to his com
panions curtly, with phtt fophlc
commentary on the folly of ." GROW
ing up their hand before the ga le was
played out" But they were uinished
with LIQUOR which in this emergency
stood them in place Of food, fuel, rest
and prescience. In spite or MS remon-
strances, it was not long before they
we're more or less under its influence
Uncle Billy passed rapidly from
bellicose state into one OF stupor, the
Duchess became maudlin and Motnel
Shipton snored. Mr.. Oakhurst alone
remained erect, leaning against rock
calmly surveying them.
Mr.. Oakhurst did not drink. II IN
terfered with his profession, which re,
ouired GOODNESS, impassiveness anc
presence of mind, and in his own Ian
guage, he couldn't afford It," AS ht
gazed at his recumbent fellow exlies
the loneliness begotten OF his parlal
trade, his habits Of life his very vices
for the first time seriously oppressed
him. He bestirred himself in busting hi
black clothes. washing his hands ane
face and other acts characteristic O.
his studiously neat habits and for
moment forgot his annoyance. Ths
thought of deserting his weaker ane
more pitiable companions never per,
haps occurred to him. Yet ne coule
not help feeling the want of that eX'
citement, which singularly enough
was most conductive to that calm
equanamity for which he was notori'
Gus. He looked at the gloomy wall:
that rose a thousand feet sheer above
the circling pines around him; at the
sky, omniously clouded; at the valley
below, already deepening into shadow
And, doing so, suddenly he heard hi!
own name called.
A horseman slowly ascended the
trail. In the fresh, open face Of the