The Luck of Roaring CampTherewascommotioninRoaringCamp.Itcouldnothavebeenafight,forin1850thatwasnotnovelenoughtohavecalledtogethertheentiresettlement.Theditchesandclaimswerenotonlydeserted,but"Tuttle'sgrocery"hadcontributeditsgamblers,who,itwillberemembered,calmlycontinuedtheirgamethedaythatFrenchPeteandKanakaJoeshoteachothertodeathoverthebarinthefrontroom.Thewholecampwascollectedbeforearudecabinontheouteredgeoftheclearing.Conversationwascarriedoninalowtone,butthenameofawomanwasfrequentlyrepeated.Itwasanamefamiliarenoughinthecamp,--"CherokeeSal." Perhapsthelesssaidofherthebetter.Shewasacoarseand,itistobefeared,averysinfulwoman.ButatthattimeshewastheonlywomaninRoaringCamp,andwasjustthenlyinginsoreextremity,whenshemostneededtheministrationofherownsex.Dissolute,abandoned,andirreclaimable,shewasyetsufferingamartyrdomhardenoughtobearevenwhenveiledbysympathizingwomanhood,butnowterribleinherloneliness.Theprimalcursehadcometoherinthatoriginalisolationwhichmusthavemadethepunishmentofthefirsttransgressionsodreadful.Itwas,perhaps,partoftheexpiationofhersinthat,atamomentwhenshemostlackedhersex'sintuitivetendernessandcare,shemetonlythehalf-contemptuousfacesofhermasculineassociates.Yetafewofthespectatorswere,Ithink,touchedbyhersufferings.SandyTiptonthoughtitwas"roughonSal,"and,inthecontemplationofhercondition,foramomentrosesuperiortothefactthathehadanaceandtwobowersinhissleeve. Itwillbeseenalsothatthesituationwasnovel.DeathswerebynomeansuncommoninRoaringCamp,butabirthwasanewthing.Peoplehadbeendismissedthecampeffectively,finally,andwithnopossibilityofreturn;butthiswasthefirsttimethatanybodyhadbeenintroducedABINITIO.Hencetheexcitement. "Yougointhere,Stumpy,"saidaprominentcitizenknownas"Kentuck,"addressingoneoftheloungers."Gointhere,andseewhatyoukindo.You'vehadexperienceinthemthings." Perhapstherewasafitnessintheselection.Stumpy,inotherclimes,hadbeentheputativeheadoftwofamilies;infact,itwasowingtosomelegalinformalityintheseproceedingsthatRoaringCamp--acityofrefuge--wasindebtedtohiscompany.Thecrowdapprovedthechoice,andStumpywaswiseenoughtobowtothemajority.Thedoorclosedontheextemporesurgeonandmidwife,andRoaringCampsatdownoutside,smokeditspipe,andawaitedtheissue. Theassemblagenumberedaboutahundredmen.Oneortwoofthesewereactualfugitivesfromjustice,somewerecriminal,andallwerereckless.Physicallytheyexhibitednoindicationoftheirpastlivesandcharacter.ThegreatestscamphadaRaphaelface,withaprofusionofblondehair;Oakhurst,agambler,hadthemelancholyairandintellectualabstractionofaHamlet;thecoolestandmostcourageousmanwasscarcelyoverfivefeetinheight,withasoftvoiceandanembarrassed,timidmanner.Theterm"roughs"appliedtothemwasadistinctionratherthanadefinition.Perhapsintheminordetailsoffingers,toes,ears,etc.,thecampmayhavebeendeficient,buttheseslightomissionsdidnotdetractfromtheiraggregateforce.Thestrongestmanhadbutthreefingersonhis