The Leon reporter. (Leon, Iowa) 1887-1930, 1914-07-16
PART /.

PART l.
a Is MIR. John Oakhurst, gambler
A stepped into the main street o.
Poker Flat on the morning Of
the :3d of November, 1850. be
was conscious of change in its mora
atmosphere since the preceding night
Two or tire" men, conversing earnest.
~ together. ceased as he approached
and exchar ged significant glances.
There was ii Sabbath lull in the air,
which, in a settlement unused to Sab.
bath Influences. looked ominous
Mr.. Oakhu'st's calm, handsome face
betrayed SIN Ill concern in these indica-
tons. Whe her he was conscious of
any predisp 'sing cause was another
question. II reckon they're after some
body" he reflected, ''likely it's me-"
He returned to his pocket the handker-
chief with which he had been whip
ping away the red dust of Poker Flat
from his net boots and quietly dis
charged his mind of any further con-
lecture
In point IF fact. Poker Flat was
''after somebody" 1t had lately suf-
fered the los Of several thousand dol
lars, two va liable horses and a promi-
nent citizen 1t was experiencing a
spasm of virtuous reaction. quite as
lawless and ungovernabIe as any Of
the acts that had provoked it. A Sc
cret committee had determined to rid
the town of all improper persons. This
was done permanently in regard to
two men who were then hanging from
the boughs Of a sycamore In the gulch
and temporarily in the Punishment Of
certain other Objectionable characters.
1regret to say that some of these were
ladies. 1t is but due to the sex. how
ever, to state that their improperly
was professional and it was only in
such easily established standards Of
evil that Poker Flat ventured to sit In
judgment.
Mr.. Oakhurst was right in supposing
that he was included in this category.
A few Of the committee had urged
hanging him as possible example.
and a sure method of reimbursing
themselves from his pockets Of the
sums he had won for them. Its agin
justice" said Jim Wheeler. Ito let
this yer young man from Roaring
Camp-an entire stranger-carry away
our money" But crude sentiment
Of equity residing in the breasts Of
those who had been fortunate enough
to win from Mr.. Oakhurst overruled
this narrower local prejudice.
Mr.. Oakhurst received his sentence
with philosophic calmness. none the
less coolly that he was aware Of the
hesitation OF his judges. He was too
much Of gambler not to accept fate.
With him life was at best an uncer-
tain game, and he recognized the usual
percentage in favor of the dealer
A body of armed men accompanied
the deported wickedness Of Poker Flat
to the outskirts Of the settlement Be-
sides Mr.. Oakhurst, who was known
to be coolly desperate man and for
whose intimidation the armed escort
was intended, the expatriated party
consisted Of young woman familiarly
known as THE Duchess" another,
who had won the title Of Mother Ship
ton" and 'Uncle Billy" a suspected
sluice robber and confirmed drunkard.
The cavalcade provoked no comments
from the spectators. nor was any word
uttered by the escort. Only when the
gulch which marked the uttermost
limit Of Poker Flat was reached the
leader spoke briefly and to the point
The exiles were forbidden to return at
the peril Of their lives.
As the escort disappeared their pent
DIP feelings found vent in few hyster-
ical tears from the Duchess. some BAD
language from Mother Shipton and
Parthian volley of expletives from Up
Gle Billy. The philosophic Oakhurst
alone remained silent He listened
calmly to Mother Shipton's desire to
cut somebody's heart out. to TIE re
posted statements Of the Duchess thas
she would die in the road and to the
alarming oaths that seemed to De
bumped out Of Uncle Billy as he rode
forward. with the easy good humor
characteristic Of his class he insisted
tpon exchanging his own riding horse.
rive Spot. for the sorry mule which
Ne Duchess rode. But even this act
lid not draw the party into any closer
sympathy. The young woman read
5iusted her somewhat dragged plumes
with feeble. faded coQuetry. Mother
Nnl6tp eyed the preseason Of Five
49, With nsaisvolsnce, and Uncle BIZ
III tlle) a. KiIole spasty - 60