the outcasts of poker flat-第2部分

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Mother　Shipton；　who　was　actually　relaxing　into　amiability。　　〃Is

this　yer　a　damned　picnic？〃　said　Uncle　Billy　with　inward　scorn　as　he

surveyed　the　sylvan　group；　the　glancing　firelight；　and　the　tethered

animals　in　the　foreground。　　Suddenly　an　idea　mingled　with　the

alcoholic　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　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　the

door；　and　in　a　few　minutes　were　asleep。



Mr。　Oakhurst　was　a　light　sleeper。　　Toward　morning　he　awoke　benumbed

and　cold。　　As　he　stirred　the　dying　fire；　the　wind；　which　was　now

blowing　strongly；　brought　to　his　cheek　that　which　caused　the　blood

to　leave　itsnow！



He　started　to　his　feet　with　the　intention　of　awakening　the

sleepers；　for　there　was　no　time　to　lose。　　But　turning　to　where

Uncle　Billy　had　been　lying；　he　found　him　gone。　　A　suspicion　leaped

to　his　brain　and　a　curse　to　his　lips。　　He　ran　to　the　spot　where　the

mules　had　been　tethered；　they　were　no　longer　there。　　The　tracks

were　already　rapidly　disappearing　in　the　snow。



The　momentary　excitement　brought　Mr。　Oakhurst　back　to　the　fire　with

his　usual　calm。　　He　did　not　waken　the　sleepers。　　The　Innocent

slumbered　peacefully；　with　a　smile　on　his　good…humored；　freckled

face；　the　virgin　Piney　slept　beside　her　frailer　sisters　as　sweetly

as　though　attended　by　celestial　guardians；　and　Mr。　Oakhurst；

drawing　his　blanket　over　his　shoulders；　stroked　his　mustaches　and

waited　for　the　dawn。　　It　came　slowly　in　a　whirling　mist　of

snowflakes　that　dazzled　and　confused　the　eye。　　What　could　be　seen

of　the　landscape　appeared　magically　changed。　　He　looked　over　the

valley；　and　summed　up　the　present　and　future　in　two　words〃snowed

in！〃



A　careful　inventory　of　the　provisions；　which；　fortunately　for　the

party；　had　been　stored　within　the　hut　and　so　escaped　the　felonious

fingers　of　Uncle　Billy；　disclosed　the　fact　that　with　care　and

prudence　they　might　last　ten　days　longer。　　〃That　is；〃　said　Mr。

Oakhurst；　sotto　voce　to　the　Innocent；　〃if　you're　willing　to　board

us。　　If　you　ain'tand　perhaps　you'd　better　notyou　can　wait　till

Uncle　Billy　gets　back　with　provisions。〃　　For　some　occult　reason；

Mr。　Oakhurst　could　not　bring　himself　to　disclose　Uncle　Billy's

rascality；　and　so　offered　the　hypothesis　that　he　had　wandered　from

the　camp　and　had　accidentally　stampeded　the　animals。　　He　dropped　a

warning　to　the　Duchess　and　Mother　Shipton；　who　of　course　knew　the

facts　of　their　associate's　defection。　　〃They'll　find　out　the　truth

about　us　all　when　they　find　out　anything；〃　he　added；　significantly；

〃and　there's　no　good　frightening　them　now。〃



Tom　Simson　not　only　put　all　his　worldly　store　at　the　disposal　of

Mr。　Oakhurst；　but　seemed　to　enjoy　the　prospect　of　their　enforced

seclusion。　　〃We'll　have　a　good　camp　for　a　week；　and　then　the

snow'll　melt；　and　we'll　all　go　back　together。〃　　The　cheerful　gaiety

of　the　young　man；　and　Mr。　Oakhurst's　calm；　infected　the　others。

The　Innocent　with　the　aid　of　pine　boughs　extemporized　a　thatch　for

the　roofless　cabin；　and　the　Duchess　directed　Piney　in　the

rearrangement　of　the　interior　with　a　taste　and　tact　that　opened　the

blue　eyes　of　that　provincial　maiden　to　their　fullest　extent。　　〃I

reckon　now　you're　used　to　fine　things　at　Poker　Flat；〃　said　Piney。

The　Duchess　turned　away　sharply　to　conceal　something　that　reddened

her　cheeks　through　its　professional　tint；　and　Mother　Shipton

requested　Piney　not　to　〃chatter。〃　　But　when　Mr。　Oakhurst　returned

from　a　weary　search　for　the　trail；　he　heard　the　sound　of　happy

laughter　echoed　from　the　rocks。　　He　stopped　in　some　alarm；　and　his

thoughts　first　naturally　reverted　to　the　whisky；　which　he　had

prudently　cached。　　〃And　yet　it　don't　somehow　sound　like　whisky；〃

said　the　gambler。　　It　was　not　until　he　caught　sight　of　the　blazing

fire　through　the　still…blinding　storm　and　the　group　around　it　that

he　settled　to　the　conviction　that　it　was　〃square　fun。〃



Whether　Mr。　Oakhurst　had　cached　his　cards　with　the　whisky　as

something　debarred　the　free　access　of　the　community；　I　cannot　say。

It　was　certain　that；　in　Mother　Shipton's　words；　he　〃didn't　say

cards　once〃　during　that　evening。　　Haply　the　time　was　beguiled　by　an

accordion；　produced　somewhat　ostentatiously　by　Tom　Simson　from　his

pack。　　Notwithstanding　some　difficulties　attending　the　manipulation

of　this　instrument；　Piney　Woods　managed　to　pluck　several　reluctant

melodies　from　its　keys；　to　an　accompaniment　by　the　Innocent　on　a

pair　of　bone　castanets。　　But　the　crowning　festivity　of　the　evening

was　reached　in　a　rude　camp…meeting　hymn；　which　the　lovers；　joining

hands；　sang　with　great　earnestness　and　vociferation。　　I　fear　that　a

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　glittered　keenly　above　the　sleeping　camp。　　Mr。　Oakhurst；

whose　professional　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　Innocent　by　saying　that　he　had　〃often

been　a　week　without　sleep。〃　　〃Doing　what？〃　asked　Tom。　　〃Poker！〃

replied　Oakhurst；　sententiously；　〃when　a　man　gets　a　streak　of

luck；nigger　luckhe　don't　get　tired。　　The　luck　gives　in　first。

Luck；〃　continued　the　gambler；　reflectively；　〃is　a　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　Flatyou

come　along；　and　slap　you　get　into　it；　too。　　If　you　can　hold　your

cards　right　along　you're　all　right。　　For；〃　added　the　gambler；　with

cheerful　irrelevance；



　　　　　〃'I'm　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　their　slowly　decreasing

store　of　provisions　for　the　morning　meal。　　It　was　one　of　the

peculiarities　of　that　mountain　climate　that　its　rays　diffused　a

kindly　warmth　over　the　wintry　landscape；　as　if　in　regretful

commiseration　of　the　past。　　But　it　revealed　drift　on　drift　of　snow

piled　high　around　the　huta　hopeless；　uncharted；　trackless　sea　of

white　lying　below　the　rocky　shores　to　which　the　castaways　still

clung。　　Through　the　marvelously　clear　air　the　smoke　of　the　pastoral

village　of　Poker　Flat　rose　miles　away。　　Mother　Shipton　saw　it；　and

from　a　remote　pinnacle　of　her　rocky　fastness　hurled　in　that

direction　a　final　malediction。　　It　was　her　last　vituperative

attempt；　and　perhaps　for　that　reason　was　invested　with　a　certain

degree　of　sublimity。　　It　did　her　good；　she　privately　informed　the

Duchess。　　〃Just　you　go　out　there　and　cuss；　and　see。〃　　She　then　set

herself　to　the　task　of　amusing　〃the　child；〃　as　she　and　the　Duchess

were　pleased　to　call　Piney。　　Piney　was　no　chicken；　but　it　was　a

soothing　and　original　theory　of　the　pair　thus　to　account　for　the

fact　that　she　didn't　swear　and　wasn't　improper。



When　night　crept　up　again　through　the　gorges；　the　reedy　notes　of

the　accordion　rose　and　fell　in　fitful　spasms　and　long…drawn　gasps

by　the　flickering　campfire。　　But　music　failed　to　fill　entirely　the

aching　void　left　by　insufficient　food；　and　a　new　diversion　was

proposed　by　Pineystorytelling。　　Neither　Mr。　Oakhurst　nor　his

female　companions　caring　to　relate　their　personal　experiences；　this

plan　would　have　failed　too　but　for　the　Innocent。　　Some　months

before　he　had　chanced　upon　a　stray　copy　of　Mr。　Pope's　ingenious

translation　of　the　ILIAD。　　He　now　proposed　to　narrate　the　principal

incidents　of　that　poemhaving　thoroughly　mastered　the　argument　and

fairly　forgotten　the　wordsin　the　current　vernacular　of　Sandy　Bar。

And　so　for　the　rest　of　that　night　the　Homeric　demigods　again　walked

the　earth。　　Trojan　bully　and　wily　Greek　wrestled　in　the　winds；　and

the　great　pines　in　the　canyon　seemed　to　bow　to　the　wrath　of　the　son

of　Peleus。　　Mr。　Oakhurst　listened　with　quiet　satisfaction。　　Most

especially　was　he　interested　in　the　fate　of　〃Ash…heels；〃　as　the

Innocent　persisted　in　denominating　the　〃swift…footed　Achilles。〃



So　with　small　food　and　much　of　Homer　and　the　accordion；　a　week

passed　over　the　heads　of　the　outcasts。　　The　sun　again　forsook　them；

and　again　from　leaden　skies　the　snowflakes　were　sifted　over　the

land。　　Day　by　day　closer　around　them　drew　the　snowy　circle；　until

at　last　they　looked　from　their　prison　over　drifted　walls　of

dazzling　white　that　towered　twenty　feet　above　their　heads。　　It

became　more　and　more　difficult　to　replenish　their　fires；　even　from

the　fallen　trees　beside　them；　now　half…hidden　in　the　drifts。　　And

yet　no　one　complained。　　The　lovers　turned　from　the　dreary　prospect

and　looked　into　each　other's　eyes；　and　were　happy。　　Mr。　Oakhurst

settled　himself　coolly　to　the　losing　game　before　him。　　The　Duchess；

more　cheerful　than　she　had　been；　assumed　the　care　of　Piney。　　Only

Mother　Shiptono