The Outcasts of Poker Flat

He was too much of a gambler not to accept fate. With him life was at best an uncertain game, and he recognized the usual percentage in favor of the dealer.

This Bret Harte tale is deeply sentimental, and some may find it borders on the mawkish, but this reader found the craft, the mix of cynicism and sentiment charming as hell.

We occupy most of our time viewing the world through the weary but not unkind eyes of the Gambler. This is a fine place to see the events unfold.

The tale may be brief but there is wall-to-wall skill in the execution.