The San Francisco Call. Newspaper, January 23, 1898, Page 18

18 THE SAN FRANCISCO CALL, SUNDAY, JANUARY 23, 1898. ] ARG 3 ; ‘. 1" R s o ;1.&%’ ten dave longer. “That 1s” sald Mr. Oakhurst, sotto Yoce to the Innocent, “if you're willing to board us. If you ain't—and perhaps you'd better nor—you ecan wait Ull Uncle Billy gets back with provisions.” For some gccult reason, Mr. Oakhurst could not bring himself to disclose Uncle Billy's ality, and so offered the hy- that he had re t and As Mr. John Oakhurst, gambler, stepped into the Mr. Oakhurst drew the youthful speculator behind the had n the camp and had main street of Poker Flat on the morning of the 23d door and thus addressed him: ‘“Tommy, yvou're a good Yov 850, he wa Eato1H little man, but you can’t gamble worth a cent. Don't aourse ‘km h . of November, 1850, he was consclous of a change in his try it over again.’ He then handed him his money “The;_e‘"kng\g fllutaflg:kl‘:mh e dt’i\ur:\?“flor?d & parting malediction. Tt was her last vituperative at- moral atmosphere ce the preceding night. Two or back, p ed him gently from the room, and so made & a1tk " S v three men, conversing earnestly together, ceased as he devoted out anything,” he added s! ave of Tom Simson. approached, and exchanged significant glances. There Anyiing 2 "and tHEre's 1o tempt. and perhaps for that reason was invested with 004 rightening them n There was & remembrance of this fn his boyish and &' £ b e nd & certain degree of sublimity. It did her good, she rivately Informed the Duchéss. “Just vou go out thers om Simson not only put all his woridly store at the P - e < Lyl was a Sabbath Iull in the air, which, in a settlement enthusiastic greeting of Mr. Oakhurst. He had started, disposal of Mr. Oakhurst, but he seemed to enjoy the 2R cuss, and see.” "She then set herseif to th E J 1 he said, to go to Poker Flat to seek his fortune. rospect of their enf d seclusi “we'll 5 amusing “the chil as she and the Duchess were unused to Sabbath influences, looked ominous. “Alone? *No, not exactly nlone; in fact (a Eigeie). he ';J*Od"mm" St Pipr et n "":“? 4 Dleased to call Piney. Piney was no chicken. but it was The tears rose to her eyes, but she hid them from Mr. Oakhurst's calm, bandsome tace betrayed small had 'run awas wih Do wons: I fact (a gigsle), he we'll all go back together.” The cheerful gayaty of thy 8 S0othing and original theory. of the maie thes to ac- Piney. s 4 concern in these indications. Whether he was con- remember Piney? She that used to walt on the table young man and Mr. Oakhurst's calm infected the oth- count for the fact that she didn’t swear and wasn't im- The women slept but little. In 11\]e FeResi look ng 85ous of any predisposing cause was another question. at the Temperance House? They had been engaged a oo &m0 Innocent, with the aid of pine boughs, extem: PTREE. L ain Ahvoogh fhal gorged. the b o ook oth o o ate ) ‘I reckon they're after somebody,” he reflected; *likely lonx thine, ' SUE oln Jake ' Waons had objected, And 80 porized a thatch for the roofless cabin: and the Dorios Teedy Totes of the ncenrdin” SArOUER the gorges, TR L L R I th it's me.” He returned to his pocket the handkerchief Do eyl and hate ihp oy $omu i Boker st to T o iy L TR ot Ghes Epasms and long-drawn gasps by the flckering comn. S orev ey kept this attiude for the rest of ¥ith which he had been whipping away the red dust bo. arheu, & lucky it was they had found @ pince to Bios o faS Maiden 1o Abis s p A Bt Feckon fire. But music failed to fill entirely the aching weid That night the ‘storm reached its greatest fury, and, of Poker Flat from his neat boots, and quietly dis- camp and company. All this the Innocent delivered NOW you're used to fine things at Poker Flat, said {,’,“P',’-V l'nsumc{em food, and a new diveYsion was left rending asunder the protecting pines, invaded the very charged his mind of any further conjecture. el Pne bl mour, comely” Semoel of B . Fiuey. "The Duchess titael Sass 10 Drces: adtD female Compaions ing ek, M. Oakhu b D e T e uhable to In point of fact, Poker Flat was ~after somebody.” poiyeg foom beh!ng e p‘lmu:fcid“hfrmhsfio}\’-lr €80 that reddened her cheeks through her professional tint, eriences, this plan would have faied. iao. or Tor X PR e Nethofens It had lately suffered the loss of several thousand dol- L i Juseen. Su i with sentl- 2hd Mother Shipton requested Piney mot to “chatter. fnnncenn Some months before he had chanced upon 1 ened, the Duc B lars, two valuable horses, and a prominent citizen. It I aakliurst Seidend: tronbied Y e But when Mr. Oakhurst returned from a weary search & stray copy of Mr. Pope's ingenious tran n of the ars, ses, i quite ther e bian il propriety; but he had & vagus ides for the trafl, he heard the Bowad OF hupre laughter Lp, 3%, ¢GPY of Mr. Poy . : 3 . was experiencing a spasm of virtuous reaction, quite that the situation was not fortunate. He : 'd: echoed from ‘the rocks. He stopped In some alarm: and cldenits of thet Baroly e ilho ke as lawless and ungovernable as any of the acts that however, his presence of mind sufficiently to k! Ay DS thoughts first naturally reverted to the whisky, argument and f;'.’m‘. ords==in i, putting her head upor had provoked it. A secret commitice had determined Billy, who e S ot soriml\ll”m:(u')(nfiix:s‘fkl & which he Dad prudently cached. “And yet it don't cu ndy Bar. And so for th S aua s reclining, the y to rid the town of all improper persons. This was done was sober enough to recognize ey e somehow sound like whisky,” said the gambler. It was at the Homeric demigods again ing the head of the soiled er upo! ermanently in regard of two men who were then superior power that wouid not bear triflin - - Dot until he caught sight of the blazing fire through the g Wity ek wieatie they fell asleep. Banging Trom the boughs of a sycamore in the gulch, endeavored to dissuade Tom Simson from deiay still blinding storm and the group around it that he e s ok fha @nd temporarily in the banishment of certain other ob- ther, but in vain. He even pointed out the fa ther, but in vain. settled to the conviction that {t was “square fun.” Bhe.gEsat ptnes in Jectionable characters. 1 regret to say that some of - The wind lulled as if it feared on, nor means of makin med to bow > y to the' wrath of the son of Peler urst drifts of snow, n fro . ! Whether Mr. Oakhurst had cached his cards with i - S e e wE e S et these were lad It is but due to the sex, however, to But, unluckily, the Innocent met this objection t the whisky as something debarred the free access of grcd, With aulet et s e wingedhi & ans ae ot piiat, their impropriety was professional, and it Suring the party that he w P e Moteommunity, T cannot eay. It was certain that, persisted in denominating tt vift-footed 'n upon what had been the c: Tt Pokas S sy sesablished iatarTRras of (v SR OMIRAUWIL Droy e o ol - U imorary v an other Snmipton’s words, he “didn’t eaeds once So. with small food and much of Homer . all trace of earthly travail, w: that Poker Flat ventured to sit in judgment. S Vi L T TR 2 atodrdion. pHISC ey me wan beeulled by - | ouriiin® s Wetk naso i ol Of Homer and: uis spotless mantle mercifully Mr. Oakhurst was right in supposing that he was in- "a-‘h“‘;]‘ i R S et 7 accordion, produced somewhat ostentatiously DY The sun again forsook the 1d again from the leaden Cluded in this category. A few of the committee had o the Duchess. “and I cin shift for my el fomijertaertsom his pack, Notwithstanding some dif- g%, yn *Saln forsook them. and a the land. Day by B e S AnEing him as a possible example and a sure R e A s Sl pt e As it pyultles attending the manipulation of this instrument, Saico g S around them drew the snowy circle, until ar met'§)d of reimbursing themselves from his pockets of !‘C-eh 1ol o ";l-_l (-'f el s e At s Iney Woods managed to pluck several reluctant melo- last they looked from their prison door over drifted And when pitying fi the sums he had won from them. “It's agih justic Both retvet Bis Stonty . T Spon unth Be e i iy g0 the accompantment by theImno- o - CC G et Sxom thelr prison twenty feet above from their wan faces, you could scarcely $2id Jim Wheeler, “to let this ver young man from oUld recover his gravity. The siaps of his con- Gt e Sestaneta sHat the argwiing § - Titi N o L oWered Oy difficult to re- from eace that dwelt upon them w Roaring Camp—an entire stranger—carry away our i o o i Ball The Menil TRorialts. - Bic when ity of the evening was reache in a rude camp-meet- [ SO fires, even from the len trees beside she tha nned. the law of Poker Flat rec- money.” But a crude sentiment of equity residing in - tortions e e e e Do s el ing hymn, which the lovers, joining hands, sang with them. now half hidden in the drifts. And vet no one ognized , and turned away, leaving them still locked the breasts of those who had been. fortunate enough to he returned to the et A ol i ettt ecTestion. L L tear bRt e e T s . e arf A ary pros- in each other's : o rom Mr. Oakhurst overruled this marrower jocal ~_fOr the alr had grow Praiiery Jip i, 3 tain deflant tone and Covenanter's swing to its chorus, ect and looked into each other’s eves and were happy. But at the head of the gulch, on one of the largest prejudice. ey B g g e et o o irfeciian any devotional quality, caused it speeatly fPet Snd, looked lInto each of} coolly to the losing game ine trees, they found the deuce of clubs pinned to the Mr, Oakhurst received his sentence with philo- brlom e e S e e, to infect the others, who at last jul};od in the refrain: before him. The Duchess, more cheerrul than she had bark with a bowie knife. It bore the following written sophic’ calmness, none the less coolly that he was aware {mation she had mot shown for m ARt o Sa AT AT TIcR of. tha Yo, been, assumed the care of Piney. Only Mother Shipton in pencil in a firm hand: Ofthe hesitation of his fuiges. He was too much of 3 Animation she bad not show = L e he pind I'm bound to die in his army. ve jonce the strongest of the party—seemed to sicken and gambler not to accept fate. {vith him life was at best r Oakhieat aus S el il e The pines rocked, the storm eddied and whirled above fade. At midnight on the tenth day she called Oalk. contancertaln game, and he recognized the usual per- 10 ME Oakhur T T e ey the miserable group, and the flames Ofwiheir altal hurst to her side. “T'm golng.: she said In o voice of R centage In favor of the dealer. il e e e s - the leapcd heavenward as if in token- of the vow. uerulous weakness, “but don’t say anything about it. 2 Ret ooy 02 Bimed. men; scompeniied “the’ Babotted. - B DocIs Bl Wit inward $som;as he son ehirires AL, midnight the storm abated, the rolling clouds on't waken the kids. Take the bundle from under my Beneath This Tree Wickedness of Poker Flat to the outskirts of the set- 5V Bt T i ey ICLENC A a mingled [ig'%, and the stars glittered keenly above the sleep- poTot Wa open it.” Mr. Oakhurst did so. It contained Lies the Body tlement. Besides Mr. Oakhurst, who was known to be ng'xl ma:l n1 x)em“nre(zrmp: ARe e : T Ing camp. Mr. Oakhurst, whose professtonal habits & coolly desperate man, and for whose intimidation the With the alcoholic fumes tha brain. had enabled him to live on the smallest possible amount igunef Shibton's rations for the last week untouched. - smallest poss hild” she said, pointin he sleep- Simed eacort was intended, the expatriated party con- NS apparently of a jocular nature, for he felt Impelled of ‘sicep, in dividing. the waten with o oDl amount S Do (e eha. o tie S o aE e thE Moo sisted of ‘o vouns woman' famillafly Knows as Ths 10 Sap his leg again and cram hix fist Into his n how managed to take upon himself the greater part of D Duchess”; another who had won the title of “Mother A3 the shadows crept slowly up the moun of JOHN OAKHURST, * * * * * * * * * * * I EEERER ERERZE] bler. “That's what they call it,” said the woman, quer- Who Struck a Streak of Bad Luck 3 e : 4 slight breeze rocked the tops of the pine tree T ERAE e e et e e Ure¥s ulously, as she lay down agaif, and, turning her face On the 23d of November, 153, hipton”: and “Uncle Bill a suspected sluice robber moaned through their long and gloomy aisles The “Doing what?" asked Tom. “Poker!” replied Oakhurst to the wall, passed quietly away. i e onfirmed drunkard. . The, cAvalcatls wrovoked: no. . Toaned “throush theiv Houy and gioom pine bougha, .Doing wh X - Foker!” replied Oakchurst The accordion and the bones were put aside that day, orep e, Crom b NpECIIITYS, ‘HOTAM Ry O ut=" TRV Sabln Spetrhet et novaned; il parted, they nigger lack-he dueier ties. o runt ‘gives In firer, and Homer was forgotten. When the body of Mother Handed in His Checks oo n e eyeork, Only when the gilleh whichimarked WA SCApRr: Torithis udier SAw ehie lovers Hncers Luck,” continued the gambler, reflectively, “1s a mighty ~ Shipton had been committed to the snow, Mr. Oakhurst On the 7th of December, 1850. tocaersmost Misit of Poker FIat was réschén; the. ; INRTCCIOly; exchangad & Kiser ) licusst s ing pines. queer thing, All you know about it for certain js that 0ok the Innocent Selde: And Shawed Him s pair of Torbidach to Tetny arone ne Boint, The exiies were iy (- BLONLES G the. malovorent Motk nis lae U8 bound fo-change. "Ana’iUs anding out’when'i's Snowshoes which he had fasbioned from the old pack: ANt ma kv e Rruny ®re probably too stunned to remfark upon this last BoIng to change that makes you. We've had a streak o o - . e As the escort disappeared their pent-up feellngs ™2 et - Bl : ange that m yet" ‘he sald, pointing to Piney; “but it's there’ he found vent in'a few hysterical ears tfom the Diuchiss: T T e ont e R o5 ek since iwe leff Foker 1t Son oo, oome along. J3ded, polnting foward Poker Flat. “If you can feach And pulseless and cold, With a Derringer by his side thion rofeoguass loam SMather Sriptom, and.s bav- = D19 Dy NS ire) was Eeviined “the asleep. Cards HEht Alons pearns an rent. Choesh Bold YOUR fhere in two davs Sore,f%ie thand You?” asked Tom and a bullet In his heait, though still caim &s in joe thian volley of expletives from Uncle Billy. The philo- Mr. Oakhurst was a light sleeper. Toward morning e eat S i W - Simson. “T'll stay here,” was the curt reply. beneath the snow lay he Wwho was at once the strongest Sophic Qakhurst alone remained sitent. He listened 2 awcke benumbed and cold. As he stirred the dying S%% Eamtug et g Service of the Tord The lovers parted with a long embrace. “You are not and yet the weakest of the outcasts of Poker Flat. e o e SRR Sewire o ot SmabDAye . dre, the Wity whith wAN 0w DIuing e n Rrue e RS mergloe e X d golng, too?" said the Duchess, as she saw Mr. Oakhuret eart out, to the repeated statements of the uchess Z y v] > 3 that she would die in the road, and. to the aiarming DrOUEBt to his cheek that which caused the blood io The,ihird day came, aud the san, icoking through . SDESCRANIY. VAINE Ko Qoo Ll s JAT 82 the oaths that seemed to be bumped out of Uncle Billy as leave it—snow! the white-curtained valley, saw the outcasts divide (il e roda Formard. . Wit thr men out of Baca Billy we He started to his feet with the Intention of awak- the Duchess, leaving her pallid face aflame, and her their slowly decreasing store of provisions for the morn- the, -DuC R g B e 1 ose, Bi g s rigid w amazement. P tom 2%, he Losisted upon exfhesging his vwn - SR the slocpers, for thers was 20 time to lose:. But ing meal: It was one of tne D Eii of that mauntafy Night came. but not Mr. Oakhurst. It brought the riding horse, “Five Spot,” for the sorry mule upon LUrT one. A suspicion leaped to his brain and a curse ClMAte that its rays diffused a I e $ storm again and the whirling snow. Then the Duchess, ey et patchoss Tode. But even this st 4id mot- g% EOe. A suspiclon lehpedito his brain and a curse ‘wintry landscape, as if n regre omm on o draw the party into any closer sympathy. The young feeding the fire, found that some one had quietly piied . the past. But it revealed drift on drift of snow piled Y Yoman readjusted her somewhat bedraggled plumes Deen tethered: they were no longer there. The tracks hign"around the hetoa: hoperces. uecharesd pricbicd beside the hut enough fuel to last & few ave lo nger. 3 were already fast disappearing in_the snow. .- 0 B Ry atiGres X0 Whlon: o Botaetor o e St i il Coients o] Trls o, fhe, MOmOniAry SKeltement TrOUgRt Mr. Ouknursc -£C4,of Whits Ining Leiow (he otk Shores o wiith the iily included the witele party In one Sweeping ahathe TkiTo the e LT Sl il eg‘;e‘:'gem})':“,gg air the smoke of the pastoral village of Poker Flat rose e sleepers. e Innocent slumi v, Wi fay: w it, and from a remot O ko irotl s Salily ok s aib oAb having as 8 &mile on his good-humored, freckiod Face: the virgin Miles away. ‘Mother Shipton sa e innacle of her rocky fastness hurled in that direction st cxDerionced {he” regenerating tnfiucnces Of Poker hiney, mlept beside her frafler sisters as eweetly s P lat, consequently seemed to offer some invitation to thoug drawing his blanket over his shoulders, stroked e b L ey et i e De oyntain range. i his mustaches and walted for the dawn. It came slowis season the party soon passed out of the moist temper- in a whirling mist of snowflakes thnft t‘;lnflefld:e"d con- alr of the Slerras. e trail was narrow an icult. - At moon the Duchess, rolling out of her saddle upon the 404 summed up the present and future In two words— e party ped i ntention of gelng no farther, snd . “SHONOLMIT CL il which, fortun- bt epot Yous singularly wild and impressive. A Btely for the party, had been stored within the hut, and wooded ‘amphitheater, surrounded on thice sides by 80 escaped the feionious g Undie iy, disclesed Precipitous cliffs of naked granite, sloped gently. toward ~ the fact that with care and p ooy SIS Tas he crest of another precipice that overlooked the val- ley. It was, undoubtedly, the most suitable spot for a camp, had camping been advisable. But Mr. Oakhurst knew that scarcely half the journey to Sandy Bar was accomplished, and the party was not equipped or pro- visloned for delay. This fact he pointed out to his com- nions curtly, with a Pphilosophic commentary on the olly of “throwing up their hand before the game was played out.” But they were furnished with 1 uor, Which in this emergency stood them in stead of food, fuel, rest and prescience. In spite of his remonstrances. it was not long before they were more or less under its influence. Uncle Billy passed rapidly from a bellic g state into one of stupor, the Duchess became maudiin, and Mother Shipton snored. Mr. Oakhurst alone re- mained erect, leaning against a rock, calmly surveying them. Mr. Oakhurst did not drink. Tt interfered with a profession ‘which required coolness, impassiveness and presence of mind, and, in his own language, he “couldn't afford it.” As he gazed at his recumbent fellow exil the loneilness begotten of his pariah-trade, his habits of life, his very vices, for the first time seriously op- prersed him. He bestirred himself in dusting his black clothes, washing his hands and face, and other acts characteristic of his studiously neat habits, and for a moment forgot his annoyance. The thought of desert- ing his weaker and more fm'bu companions never per- haps occurred to him. Yet he could not help feeling the want of that excitement which, singularly enough, was most conducive to that calm equanimity for which he was notorious. He looked at the gloomy walls that rose & thousand feet sheer above the circling pines around him, at the sky ominously clouded, at the valley below, already dne?enln( into shadow; and, doing so, suddeniy he heard his own name called. A horseman slowly ascended the ira:l. In the fresh, face of the newcomer . Oskhurst recognized ?om Bimson, otherwise known as “The Innocent,” of Bandy Bar, He had met him some months before over e “liitle game,” and had, with farfact equanimity, won the entire fortune—amounting to some forty dollars— of that gulleless youth, After the game was finished, i AP Y S8 i 9 B sk e R kit i s