The Mt. Sterling advocate. (Mt. Sterling, Ky.) 1890-current, 1914-11-04

II
VI whisky as something debar-
~ red the free access of the com
munity / cannot say. II was GER
tain that. in Mother Symptoms words.
he didn't say cards once" during that
evening. HAPPY the time was begulled
by an accordion produced somewhat
SYSTEMATICALLY by Tom Simson from
his pack. Notwithstanding some diff.
culties attending the manipulation Of
this instrument. Piney Woods man
dyed to pluck several reluctant melo-
dies from its keys, to the accompani-
ment Of the Innocent OH pair of bone
castanets. But the browning festivlty
of the evening was reached in rude
camp meeting hymn. which the lovers,
Joining hands. sang with great earnest
ness and vociferation. fear that a
certain defiant tone and Covcnanter's
swing to its chorus, rather than any
devotional quality. caused 1t speedily
to infect the others. who at last joined
In the refrain:
I'm proud to live In the service OF the
Lord.
And I'm bound to die in his army.
The pines rocked, the storm eddied
and whirled above the miserab bic group
and the flames of their altar leaped
heavenward, rs IL in token Of the vow.
AT midnight the storm abated, the
rolling clouds parted and the stars
glittered keenly above the sleeping
camp. Mr.. Oakhurst. whose profess
sional habits had enabled him to live
on the smallest possible amount Of
sleep, in dividing the watch with Tom
Simson. somehow managed to take
upon himself the greater part of that
duty. He excused himself to the In.
nocent by saying that he had "often
been week without sleep" Doing
whatT' asked Tom. "Poker!' replied
Oakhurst sententiously. when man
gets a streak Of luck-nigger luck he
don't get tired. The luck gives in first.
Luck" continued the gambler reflec-
lively. us mighty queer thing. All
you know about it for certain is that
it's bound to change. And it's finding
out when it's going to change that
makes you. We've had streak Of
bad luck since we left Poker Flat-you
come along and, slap. you get into 1t
too. If you can hold your cards right
along you're all right. For" added
the gambler. with cheerful irreleyance,
I'm proud to live in the service of the
Lord.
And I'm bound to die in his army"
The third day came: and the sun.
looking through the white curtained
valley. saw the outcasts divide their
slowly decreasing store of provisions
for the morning meal. II was one of
the peculiarities OF that mountain eli
mate that its rays diffused kindly
warmth over the wintry landscape, as
If in regretful commiseration of the
past But it revealed drift on drift
of snow piled high around the hut-a
hopeless. uncharted, trackless sea Of
white lying below the rocky shores
to which the castaways still chung
Through the inarvelously clear air the
smoke of the pastoral village Of Poker
Flat rose miles away Mother Shipton
saw 1t and from u remote pinnacle OF
her rocky fastness hurled in that direc
ton final malediction 1t was her
last vituperative attempt, and perhaps
for that reason was invested with
certain degree of sublimity. 1t did her
good. she privately informed III"
Duchess. Just you go out there and
cuss and see" She then set herself to
the task of amusing 1.-THE child" as
she and the Duchess were pleased u
call Piney. Piney was no chicken, but
it was a soothing and original theory
0f the pair thus to account for the fact
that she didn't swear and wasn't i'm
proper.
When night crept up again through
the gorges the reedy notes Of the ac-
Gordon rose and fell in itful spasms
and long drawn gasps by the pickering
campfire. But music failed to fill ell.
tirely the aching void left by Insult
cient food, and Il new diversion was
proposed by Piney-story telling. Mel
Their Mr. OakhurSt nor his female com.
paniOns caring To relate their persona
experiences. this plan would have fall
ed too. but for the Innocent Some
months before he had CHANGED upon Il
stray copy of Mr.. pOpe's ingenious
translation of the "Iliad He now
uropoSed to narrate the principal Incl
lrntS ~ thor poem having thoroughly
mustered The argument and fairly for.
.uttrn ~" words in the current yer
IarulHI "f Sandy Bar And So for thu
est ~ - ni'ni the llumcric deml
'od- ~ ~ "Hlk"l the earth, TrOian
Mt!N ".'l ".''' ';r~rk wrpStlrd In the
vin'> rrI pines in the can
"n 80. a.. 90 nuw Ia the wrath OF the
on "f i'.''"~ NJ ,mkhurSt listeue',
9Th lu. 1t substitution. Most especial
v WIS nr Interested in the fate OF
Ash heels. rs the luIOcrnt persisted
IN drnnIIIinating the swift footed
Achilles"
SO with small food and much Of Ho
mer and the accordion week pissed
over the heads or the OutcastS. The
sun again forsook them. and again
rom leaden skies the SnOwiakes We're
sifted over the land Day by day