4,034 words (16–22 minutes)
Genre(s): Western, Tragedy
First Published: Overland Monthly, January 1869

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When a gambler, two “fallen women,” and a drunk are banished from the morally reforming town of Poker Flat, they begin an unexpected journey through the cold Sierra Nevada wilderness. As they encounter a young eloping couple and become stranded by snow, these societal outcasts confront their fate with surprising grace, dignity, and self-sacrifice. “The Outcasts of Poker Flat” is a quietly powerful tale of redemption and human resilience, where the harshness of the frontier meets the quiet nobility of the human spirit.