Wolfville Nights

ness of D

' up the camp for mighty likely she's two months, when his myster'ous actions one evenin' in the Red Ligh

ve-melody bein' wholly onnacheral to Dave, that a-way-thar's a callow pin-feather party comes caperin' in an' takin'

freightin' over any trail, I rides her once or twice to locate wood and water, an' pick out my camps. Said system may seem timorous, but it's shore safer a heap. So I asks ag'in whether you-all

monstrates Enright. 'The simple way now would be to ro

ut an' try it some, it would be found plenty complex. See yere!' goes on the pin-feather party, beginnin' to roll up his sleeve, 'you-all impresses me as more or less

-shooter,' s

for what you-all might call the "nonce" to sort o' look over my hand ag'in an' see be I right. Do my best I can't on earth discern no reasons ag'in the nuptials. Moreover, the lady-who takes after her old gent a heap-cuts in on the play with a bluff that while she don't aim none to crowd my hand, she's doo to be

ight, 'whatever does

range before ever I opens my mouth, an' plugs me. At that I begins to hal

e responsible chief of this camp, I would like to hear why you reckons Wolfville is a good place to elope to. I don't s'ppose it's

peaceful, staid, an' law abidin' that I first considers you. Then ag'in, thar ain't a multitoo

on that side, so he ups an' tells the 'swain,' as Colonel Sterett calls

t-tossed lover in the possession of his skelp. The old gent an' that maiden fa'r has got him between 'em, a

go back

the advantage of his silence over a glass of peach and honey,

queernesses of Dave. That Tucson elopement 'is another story a heap,' as s

cadencies in the Red Li

along with Dan Boggs

ell us about a brace ga

one

-all sports who ain't really gamblers none. That's to be p'lite. But between us, among a'credited kyard sharps, a brace game is allers allooded to as "the

her lookout's roost by his shoulder; 'give 'em a

ock an' Cherokee signifies his w

to the p'int of honour, is bound to savey all kyard dooplicities in their uttermost depths, or get left dead on the field of finance. Every gent should be honest. But more than honest-speshully if he's out to buck faro-bank or set in on casyooal games of short-k

is shootin' a derringer, Colonel Sterett's is pol'tics, Enright's is jestice, Dave's is bein' married, Jack Moore's is upholdin'

ll, who's as immersed as the rest in these settin's

s Cherokee, a heap emphatic, an' on tha

says Faro Nell, blushin' with ple

on Cherokee, 'every s

his is that he can

gifted, a game of casin

till, his gifts ain't

rn able to "tel

cernin' poker it would be to never play with strangers; an' partic'lar to never spec'late with a gent who sneezes a lot, or turns his head an' talks of draughts of cold air invading' the place, or says his foot's asleep an' gets up to stampede about the room after a hand is dealt an' prior to the same bein' played. It's four to one this afflicted sharp is workin' a holdout. Then that's the "punch" to mark a deck

they're powerless to perform their partic'lar miracle, an' as a result, since that's the one end an' aim of their efforts, they become

d hard look. That dealer's got what post gradyooates in faro-bank robbery calls a "end squeeze" box; the deck is trimmed-"wedges" is the name-to put the odds ag'in the evens, an' sanded so as to let two kyards come at a clatter whenever said pheenomenon is demanded by the exigencies of their crimes; an' thar you be. No, it's a fifty-two-kyard deck all right, an' the dealer depends on "puttin' back" to keep all straight. An' I'm driven

on,' says Colonel Sterett, who's come in

from best ideals an' high examples of the East, not to long before have learned the excellence of that maxim about lettin' every man kil

by himse'f in a reemote corner of the room, an' he ain't been noticin' nobody an' nobody's been noticin' hi

, lie still

ls gyard

an' we-all looks at each other. Enright mak

ble in accountin' for his acts, I asks you for your opinions. As you knows, this thing's been goin' for'ard for som

more sociable sport an' none whose system is easier to follow in all Wolfville than Dave. While holdin' himse'f at what you might call 'par' on all o'casions, Dave is still plenty minglesome an' frater

' to settle whether he's behind or ahead on some deal. While thus wropped in this fit of abstraction Dan Boggs comes hybernatin' along an' asks Dave to p'int into the Red Light for a smell

!' says Dave, an' at that he strides off w

a bit later, 'would cut me to the quick, but I knows it ain't on the level, Da

ille's chief is the last Mexican to come no'th of the line. Then later Dave is effoosive an' goes about riotin' in the s'ciety of every gent whereof he cuts the trail. One day he won't drink; an' the next he's tippin' the canteen from sun-up till

r reasons; 'in spite of the fact, I says, that I'm plenty posted in advance that I'm up ag'inst a gen'ral shout of derisi

hompson; 'cut her freely loose an' b

essed that counsel to a buffalo bull for all the respectful heed I gains. Dave gives me a grin, shets one eye plenty cunnin', an' retorts: "Dan, you're envious; you wants that ornament yourse'f an' you're out to try an make me diskyard it in your favour. Sech schemes, Dan, can't make the landin'. Opals that a-way is as harmless as bull snakes. Also, I knows what becomes my looks; an' while I ain't vain, still, bein' married as you're aware

e-down sport-this yere's long ago while I'm briefly sojournin' in Socorro-who's got a opal, an' he one day puts it in hock with a kyard sharp for a small stake. The kyard ge

its itse'f to sellin' licker an', him bein' plenty careful not to drink none himse'f, his contracted destinies don't offer no field for opals an' the

tion of that gin mill, an' endows a lady of his acquaintance with this opal

n' said malev'lent stone in the dooal capac'ty of a cur'osity an' a warnin' is put in the seegyar case at the Early Rose s'loon. The first day it's thar, a jeweller sharp come in for his daily drinks-he runs the jewelry store of that meetropolis an' knows about diamonds

divers an' several disasters, from the loss of that kyard gent's bank-roll down to the Mexican nuptials of the ill-advised lady to whom I alloodes, can't be la

s Boggs, plenty stubborn an' while the rest of us don't yoonite with him, w

a-way, we-all, followin' Enright's s'licitation for our thoughts, abides a h

in speaks up. Bein' doubtful an' mindful of Enright's argyment ag'in his opal bluff, however, Boggs don't advanc

t opals, it's a cas

ncommon firm on his mental feet, still he's shore got something on his mind. An' be

be,' says Cherokee, 'to go an

a wager on it, he'd turn out disagree'ble to a degree, if he did. No, you-all has got to handle a loonatic w

friends; an' I allows if I goes after him in ways both soft an' careless, so as n

rokee sa'nters down to where Dave

toones for, Dave?' asks Ch

es on Dave. 'I'm like the ancient Romans, I've got troubles of my own; an' no sport who calls himse'f my friend will go aggr

ve's been seen caucusin' with Missis Rucker an' Doc Peets. Most likely one of 'em would be able to shed a ray on Dave. By a excellent

e harborin' anything but feelin's of the highest regyards for one an' all-I'll have to leave you camped in original darkness. It would be breakin' professional confiden

r Dave's likely to grow voylent. If he is, it's

like he's considerin'; 'he may make a joyful uproar, but he won't wax dangerous.' Th

sp'rate. I'll offer the motion: Let's prance over in a bunch, an' demand a explanation of Missis Rucker. Dave's been talkin'

layin' the fragrant foundations of supper; 'we waits on you-all to ask your advice. Dave Tutt's been carryin' on in a manner an' form at once doobious an' threatenin'. It ain't too much

riates an' get 'em back to the Red Light. Thar's nothin' the matter with Dave; leastwise if it was the matter with you, you'd be some improved. Dav

Rucker,' says Enright, 'the s

ive you notice that to-morry you can begin to do your own cookin' till you hears further word from me. I'm goin' to be otherwise an' more congenially engaged. Most likely I'll be back in my kitchen ag

e nerve to ask her further an' take the resk of turnin' loose her tem

dmirable character; but I'm sooperstitious about crowdin' her too clost. Like Boggs says about opals, thar's p

nk, 'I gives it up. I ain't got a notion left, onless it is that Dave's runnin'

feedin' ourse'fs keeps us busy an' we don't have much time to discuss Dave.

angs us like a fog. Mebby it's the oncertainties which envelops Dave, mebby it's because Missis Rucker's done desert

ected, Dave walks in. A

gives him shows he

n his right mind as s

tenance is a w

tyoolations an' set 'em up. Peets an' that motherly angel, Missis Rucker, allows I'll be of more use yere than in my own house, whereat I na