The Outcasts of Poker Flat [pp. 41-47]

THE 0 UTCA STS OF POKER FLA T.
the game was finished, Mr. Oakhurst
drew the youthful speculator behind the
door and thus addressed him: "Tommy,
you're a good little man, but you can't
gamble worth a cent. Do n't try it over
again." He then handed him his money
back, pushed him gently from the room,
and so made a devoted slave of Tom
Simson.
There was a remembrance of this in
his boyish and enthusiastic greeting of
Mr. Oakhurst. He had started, he said,
to go to Poker Flat to seek his fortune.
"Alone?" No, not exactly alone; in
fact-a giggle-he had run away with
Piney Woods. Didn't Mr. Oakhurst
remember Piney? She that used to
wait on the table at the Temperance
House? Theyhad been engagedalong
time, but old Jake Woods had objected,
and so they had run away, and were
going to Poker Flat to be married, and
here they were. And they were tired
out, and how lucky it was they had
found a place to camp and company.
All this The Innocent delivered rapidly, while Piney-a stout, comely damsel
of fifteen -emerged from behind the
pine tree, where she had been blushing
unseen, and rode to the side of her
lover.
Mr. Oakhurst seldom troubled himself
with sentiment. Still less with propriety.
But he had a vague idea that the situation was not felicitous. He retained,
however, his presence of mind sufficiently to kick Uncle Billy, who was
about to say something, and Uncle Billy
was sober enough to recognize in Mr.
Oakhurst's kick a superior power that
would not bear trifling. He then endeavored to dissuade Tom Simson friom delaying further, but in vain. He even
pointed out the fact that there was no
provision, nor means of making a camp.
But, unluckily, "The Innocent" met
this objection by assuring the party that
he was provided with an extra mule
loaded with provisions, and by the discovery of a rude attempt at a log-house
near the trail. "Piney can stay with
Mrs. Oakhurst," said The Innocent,
pointing to the Duchess, "and I can
shift for myself."
Nothing but Mr. Oakhurst's admon ishing foot saved Uncle Billy from
bursting into a roar of laughter. As it
was, he felt compelled to retire up the
cation until he could recover his gravity.
There he confided the joke to the tall
pine trees, with many slaps of his leg,
contortions of his face, and the usual
profanity. But when he returned to the
party, he found them seated by a fire for the air had grown strangely chill and
the sky overcast-in apparently amica ble conversation. Piney was actually
talking in an impulsive, girlish fashion
to the Duchess, who was listening with
an interest and animation she had not
shown for many days. The Innocent
was holding forth, apparently with equal
effect, to Mr. Oakhurst and Mother
Shipton, who was actually relaxing into
amiability. *' Is this yer a d d picnic?" said Uncle Billy, with inward
scorn, as he surveyed the sylvan group,
the glancing fire-light and the tethered
animals in the foreground. Suddenly
an idea mingled with the alcholic fumes
that disturbed his brain. It was apparently of a jocular nature, for he felt impelled to slap his leg again and cram his
fist into his mouth.
As the shadows crept slowly up the
mountain, a slight breeze rocked the
tops of the pine trees, and moaned
through their long and gloomy aisles.
The ruined cabin, patched and covered
with pine boughs, was set apart for the
ladies. As the lovers parted, they unaffectedly exchanged a parting kiss, so
honest and sincere that it might have
been heard above the swaying pines.
The frail Duchess and the malevolent
Mother Shipton were probably too
stunned to remark upon this last evidence of simplicity, and so turned without a word to the hut. The fire was
replenished, the men lay down before
I869.]
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