Evening star., 1928-03-20
WORLD FAMOUS STORIES
THE LUCK OF ROARING CAMP
BY BRET HARTE

! ner and feasibility of providing for its
| wants at once sprang up.
But they made shift to co 1t. Strange
to say. the child thrived Perhaps the
invigorating climate of the mountain
camp was compensation for material
deficiencies. And by the time he was
month old the necessity Of giving
him name became apparent. Gam
blerS and adventures are generally
superstitious and 1t was one day de-
clared that the baby had brought "the
| luck" to Roaring Camp 1t was GER
| tain that Of late they had been sue
ceSsful. Luck" was the name agreed
upon. with the prefix of Tommy for
greater convenience. No allusion was
made TO the mother. Its better" said
gambler. 'to take a fresh deal all
around. Call him Luck. and start him
fair
And so the work of regeneration be-
gan in Roaring Camp. Almost imper-
ceptibly change came over the settle
ment The cabin assigned TO Tommy
Luck" or The Luck" as he was more
frequently called. first showed signs Of
improvement. 1t was kept scrupulously
clean and whitewashed In self-defenSe,
the establishment OF "Tuttle'S Grocery
bestirred itself and imported a carpet
and mirrors. The reflections OF the lat
ter on the appearance OF Roaring Camp
began TO produce stricter habits of per-
sonal cleanliness.
The shouting and yelling. which had
gained the camp its name. were not per-
mitted within hearing distance OF Luck s
cabin. The men conversed in whispers
or smoked with Indian gravity. Pro-
| family was tacitly given up in these
sacred precincts.
On the long Summer days The Luck
/ vas usually carried TO the gulch from
which the golden store OF Roaring
Camp was taken. There. on blanket
/ spread owe rpine boughs. he would lie
while the men were working in the
bitches below. Latterly there was a rude
attempt 70 decorate his bower with fiow-
ers, and a flake OF mica fragment OF
colored quartz. bright pebble, we're in
variabiy put aside for The Luck. Sur
rounded by playthings such as never
child had before. IL is 70 be hoped that
| Tommy was content He appeared 70
be Sereneiy happy Such was the gold
en- Summer OF Roaring Camp. They
were flush times" and the luck was
with them. The claims had yielded
enormously. Finally. thinking that The
Luck might benefit from female COM
| panionsnip, 1t was proposed TO put up
a hotel for visitors Some of the OBJ
| jectors hoped something might happen
TO prevent this. II did.
| The Winter Of 1851 will long be re.
/ nembered in the foothills. The snow
lay deep on the SierFas and every
! mountain creek became a river ano
every river lake Each gorge and
/ glilch was roaring water course. Red
! Dog had been twice under water and
Roaring Camp had been forewarned
And one night the North Fork suddenly
Ie8ped over its banks and swept up tbs
triangular valley Of Roaring Camp.
In the confusion Of rushing water
crashing trees and cracking timber, anc
the darkness, but little could be done "
collect the scattered camp. When tho
morning broke the cabin Of The Luck
neafest the river bank. was gone. Th'
pride, the hope, the Joy, The Luck, o.
Roaring Camp had disappeared.
A Telief~boat from down the rtyei
picked up man and an infant, nearll
exhausted. two miles below. Roarins
Camp claimed them. II Was Kentnck
cruelty crushed and bruised still hold
ing The Luck Of Roaring Camp In hi
arms As they bent over the pair It val
seen that the child was cold and life.
less. lie is dead said one.
Kenfuck opened his eyes. "Dead?" III
repeated feebly. Hes a-taking me witt
him Tell the boys I've got The L.icI
with me nov"
And the strong man. clinging " tn
fFaiI babe ss Il drowning man Is said u
cling " q straw. drifteG away into thi
snadowy river that flows forever To I'M
unknown Sea.