tailieunhanh - Short Story: ‘The Outcasts of Poker Flat’ by Bret HarteCHRISTOPHER CRUISE: Now, an American

Short Story: ‘The Outcasts of Poker Flat’ by Bret Harte CHRISTOPHER CRUISE: Now, an American story from the Voice of America. We present “The Outcasts of Poker Flat” by Bret Harte. Here is Jim Tedder. JIM TEDDER: John Oakhurst was a gambler. He had lived in the small western town of Poker Flat for only a short time. He had defeated many people at cards. He had also won a lot of their money. For that reason alone, he was not well liked. On the morning of November twenty-third, eighteen fifty, he saw some men talking as he walked down. | Short Story The Outcasts of Poker Flat by Bret Harte CHRISTOPHER CRUISE Now an American story from the Voice of America. We present The Outcasts of Poker Flat by Bret Harte. Here is Jim Tedder. JIM TEDDER John Oakhurst was a gambler. He had lived in the small western town of Poker Flat for only a short time. He had defeated many people at cards. He had also won a lot of their money. For that reason alone he was not well liked. --IMAGE-RIGHT-- On the morning of November twenty-third eighteen fifty he saw some men talking as he walked down the main street of town. As he came near they got quiet. He said to himself Hmmm I guess they are talking about me. And that can t be good. Oakhurst was right. Some of the town s leaders had met secretly and decided to force some people to leave. They thought Poker Flat would be a better place to live if those people were gone. Besides Oakhurst two women of low morals were led to the edge of town. They were the Duchess as she was called and Mother Shipton. A man called Uncle Billy was added to the group. He was known to drink too much. Some people thought that he had also stolen some gold. They had no proof. But that did not matter. Uncle Billy was just no good and he had to go. The outcasts were told that if they ever came back they would be killed. So the four of them slowly rode out of town. The Duchess cried and said she would probably die on the road. Mother Shipton and Uncle Billy cursed. Mother said she would like to cut the heart out of the people who done this to them. But John Oakhurst rode in silence. He thought all of life was a gamble. He had just run into some bad luck. That was all. The outcasts were headed for Sandy Bar a camp not too far away. But it was high up in the cold Sierra Mountains and the path was anything but smooth. Around noon Mother Shipton became so tired she fell off her horse. She said that was as far as she was going today. Oakhurst tried to make them move on because they had no food or fuel. But