Morris tribune., 1914-08-07
PART u.

EwATE HETHER Mr.. Oakhurst had
M cached his cards with the
IU whisky as something debar-
- red the free access of the com
munity l cannot say 1t was GER
tain that, in Mother Symptoms words,
he didn't say cards once during that
evening. HAPPY the time was beguiled
by an accordion produced somewhat
] ostentatiously by Tom Simson from
his pack. Notwithstanding some diff
culties attending the manipulation Of
this instrument, Piney Woods man
! aged to pluck several reluctant melo-
dies from its keys, to the accOmpani-
ment Of the Innocent on a pair Of bone
castanets But the browning festivity
of the evening was reached in a rude
camp meeting hymn, which the lovers,
joining hands, sang with great earnest
ness and yOciferation. | fear that
certain defiant tone and Covenanter's
swing to its chorus, rather than any
devotional quality. caused it 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 miserable group
and the flames Of their altar leaped
heavenward, as if in token Of the vow.
At midnight the storm abated, the
rolling clouds parted and the stars
glfttered 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 soften
been week without Sleep" Doing
whatY' asked Tom. "Pokerg' 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 rehec-
lively, lis 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 a streak of
bad luck since we left Poker FIat-you
come along and, slap. you get into il
too. If you can hold your cards right
along you're all right. For" added
the gambler, with cheerful irrelevance.
''Pm 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 theiI
slowly decreasing store of provisions
for the morning meal 1t was one Of
the peculiarities of that mountain eli
mate that its rays diffused kindly
warmth over thesWintry landscape, al
! if in regretful administration Of 5tht
past But it revealed drift on drift
of snow piled high around the huts
hopeless, uncharted, trackless sea o.
white lying below the rocky shore:
to which the castaWays still chung
Through the marveIously clear air tht
smoke Of the pastoral village Of Poke
Flat rose miles away. Mother ShiptoI
saw it and from remote pinnacle O
her rocky fastness hurled in that direc
ton final maIediction. 1t was he
last vituperative attempt, and perhaps
for that reason was invested with
certain degree OF sublimity 1t did he
good. she privately informed tn
Duchess. "Just you go out there AM
cuss and see." She then set herself t
the task Of amusing 1.-The child" a
she and the Duchess were pleased t
call Piney. Piney was no chicken. bu
it was a soothing and original theor
of the pair thus to account for the fac
that she didn't swear and wasn't i'm
proper.
Il When night crept up again throug
the gorges the reedy notes of the az
, Gordon rose and fell in ftful spasm
J and long drawn gasps by the fickerin
: campfire. But music failed to fill er
! tirely the aching void left by Insult
: cient food, and a new diversion wa
> proposed by Piney story telling Ne
! Their Mr., Oakhurst nor his female con
+ paniOns caring to. relate their persona
! experiences this plan would have fai
ed, too. but for the Innocent Som
! months before he had CHANGED upon
! stray copy OF Mr.. Pope's ingeniou
! translation Of the ''Iiiad" He no.
!. proposed to narrate the principal inc
q dents OF that poem-having thorough
4 mastered the argument and fairly TO
y gotten the words-in the current We
nacuiar OF Sandy Bar, And SO for th
Il rest OF that night the Homeric dem
l gods again walked the earthl TrOja
4 bully and willy Greek wrestied in tt
winds..and the great ONES in the CO!
81