Bret Harte 
Outcasts of Poker Flat 

When the gambler, John Oakhurst, senses that he may have outstayed his welcome in the mining camp of Poker Flat, he sets off to find pastures new.Accompanied by the local drunk, Uncle Billy, and two prostitutes, he makes his way towards Sandy Bar. However, when things do not go according to plan, and the weather turns, Oakhurst must look deep inside himself to work out what to do. A gritty tale, riddled with tragedy and romance, ’The Outcasts of Poker Flat’ does not spare the horses when it comes to depicting the difficulties faced by ordinary folk in the Old West. –