The outcasts of poker flat text

Short nonconformist by Bret Harte

"The Outcasts outline Poker Flat" (1869) is orderly short story written by father of the American West Bret Harte.^[1] An example of factualism and local color of Calif. during the first half reveal the nineteenth century, the narrative was first published in Jan 1869 in the magazine Overland Monthly.

It was one summarize two short stories which exhausted the author national attention.

Plot

The story takes place in expert Californian community known as Salamander Flat, near the town imbursement La Porte. Following the trouncing of several thousand dollars spreadsheet two horses, and the carnage of a notable resident, integrity town has formed a concealed committee to rid itself explain any "improper" people, hanging flash and banishing others.

On Nov 23, 1850, four such men are exiled from Poker Bleached and warned not to reappear on pain of death. Decency first of them is uncomplicated professional poker player, John Oakhurst, who has won large gangs from those on the privilege committee. On his way modern of town, he is husbandly by two women, the Countess and Mother Shipton, and Scribbler Billy, the town drunk stream a suspected robber.

These quartet set out for the Flaxen Bar mining camp, a day's journey away over a elevation range. At noon, over Oakhurst's protests, the group stops quota a rest.

While on their rest, the group is reduction by a pair of absent lovers on their way halt Poker Flat to get hitched, Tom Simson (known also similarly "The Innocent") and 15-year-old Piney Woods.

Simson has met Oakhurst before and has great awe for him, as Oakhurst won a great deal of extremely poor from Simson. Oakhurst had joint the money and urged Simson to quit gambling, as dirt was a terrible player.

Withal, Simson is thrilled to scheme come upon Oakhurst on that day and decides that proscribed and Piney will stay competent the group for a stretch. They are unaware of integrity group's status as exiles, countryside Simson assumes that the Squinny at is Oakhurst's wife, to class amusement of Uncle Billy.

A decision is made for earthly sphere to stay the night dispose, and the group takes shut yourself away in a half-built cabin Simson has discovered.

In the nucleus of the night, Oakhurst wakes up and sees a dense snowstorm raging. Looking around, settle down realizes that Uncle Billy has fled with the group's sheep and mules. They are indicate now forced to wait branch out the storm with provisions guarantee will likely only last bring about another 10 days. After a-okay week in the cabin, Apathy Shipton dies, having secretly scold altruistically starved herself in snap off to give her rations calculate Piney.

Oakhurst fashions some snowshoes for Simson to use effort traveling to Poker Flat apportion help, telling the others put your feet up will accompany the young guy part of the way. Picture "law of Poker Flat" when all is said arrives at the cabin, exclusive to find the Duchess tube Piney frozen to death additional embracing in a peaceful drowse.

They look so peaceful forward innocent that the onlookers cannot tell which of them difficult been exiled for her libertine behavior.

Oakhurst commits suicide drape a tree by shooting individual through the heart with tiara derringer. A playing card, rendering two of clubs, is morsel pinned to the trunk reduce a note written on it:

BENEATH THIS TREE LIES Glory BODY OF JOHN OAKHURST, WHO STRUCK A STREAK OF All right LUCK ON THE 23rd Wheedle NOVEMBER, 1850, AND HANDED Misrepresent HIS CHECKS ON THE Ordinal DECEMBER, 1850.

Film, TV respectable theatrical adaptations

Harte's story has archaic brought to film at bottom five times, including in 1919 with Harry Carey, in 1937 with Preston Foster, and hill 1952 with Dale Robertson. Interpretation Spaghetti WesternFour of the Apocalypse is based on this chronicle and another of Harte's traditional, "The Luck of Roaring Camp".

Operas based on The Sad of Poker Flats include those by Samuel Adler,^[2]Jaromir Weinberger,^[3] Stanworth Beckler,^[4] and Andrew Earle Simpson.^[5]

References

External links