第62章

"'These yere reform thoughts of our sport consoomes a hour.About that time, however, he engages himse'f with the fifth drink of nose-paint.Tharupon faro-bank takes on a different tint.His attitoode towards that amoosement becomes enlarged; at least he decides he'll prance over some an' take a fall out of it for, say, a hundred or so either way, merely to see if his luck's as black as former.An' over capers our sport.

"'It's the same old song by the same old mockin'-bird.At second drink time followin' midnight our sport is broke.As he gets up an'

stretches 'round a whole lot in a half-disgusted way, he still can't he'p exultin' on how plumb cunnin' he's been."I don't say this in any sperit of derision," he remarks to the dealer he's been settin'

opp'site to for eight hours, an' who manoovers his fiscal over-throw, as aforesaid, "an' shorely with no intent to mortify a wolf like you-all, who's as remorseless as he's game, but I foresees this racket an' insures for its defeat.You figgers you've downed me.

Mebby so.All the same, I've got my game staked out so that I eats, drinks, sleeps, an' wears clothes till the comin' of them ponies;an' you, an' the angels above, an' the demons down onder the sea, is powerless to put a crimp in them calc'lations.I've got the next six months pris'ner; I've turned the keys onto 'em same as if they're in a calaboose.An' no power can rescoo 'em none; an' they can't break jail.""'An' jest to show you-all,' continyoos Cherokee, after pausin' to tip the bottle for a spoonful, as well as let the sityooation sort o' trickle into us in all its outlines--Cherokee is plenty graphic that a-way, an' knows how to frame up them recitals so they takes effect--'an' jest to show you, as I remarks former, that every gent is bound to take a gambler's chance an' that shore-things don't exist, let me ask you what happens? Our confident sport ain't hardly got that bluff humg up before--"Inglegojang! inglegojang!" goes the church bell in alarm; the tavern's took fire an' burns plumb to the ground; drinks, chuck, bed, raiment, the whole bunch of tricks; an'

thar's our wise sport out in the snow an' nothin' but a black ruck of smokin' ruins to remind him of that cinch of his.

"'It's a lesson to him, though.As he stands thar meditatin' on the expectedness of the unexpected, he observes to himse'f, "Providence, if so minded, can beat a royal flush; an' any gent holdin' contrary views is a liar, amen!"'

"'Good, Cherokee!' says Texas Thompson, as Cherokee comes to a halt;'I'm yere to observe you're a mighty excellent racontoor.Yere's lookin' at you!' an' Thompson raises his glass.

"'I catches your eye,' says Cherokee, a heap pleased, as he p'litely caroms his glass ag'in Thompson's.

"'But Cherokee,' whispers Faro Nell, from where she's clost by his side, 'if thar's somethin' I desires a whole lot, an' is doin' my level best to deserve an' keep it all my life, do you-all reckon now that Providence ups an' throws me down?'

"'Not you, Nell,' says Cherokee, as he smiles on Faro Nell, an' kind o' surreptitious pats her har; 'not you.Providence guides your game an' guarantees it.I'm only discussin' of men.It's one of the best things about both Providence an' woman, an' to the credit of all concerned, that they allers agrees--allers goes hand in hand.'

"'An' that last utterance is a fact,' observes Dave Tutt, who's been interested deep.'When I first weds Tucson Jennie that time, Idoubts them tenets.That's over a year ago, an' you bet I'm settin'

yere to-day in possession of a new faith.It takes time to teach me, but I now sees that Tucson Jennie's the onfalterin' mouth-piece of eternal trooth; the full partner of Providence, a-holdin' down the post of lookout; an' that when she sets forth things, them things is decreed an' foreordained.'"And now my friend lapsed into silence and began to reload his pipe.

"I used to smoke Lone Jack out on the plains," he murmured, "or mebby Frootes an' Flowers; but I don't know! I figgers this yere Bull Durham's got more force of char'cter."Then came more silence.But the night was young; I was disposed to hear further of Wolfville and its worthy citizens.My readiest method was to put forth a question.