The Douglas independent. [volume] (Roseburg, Or.) 187?-1885, 1878-08-24

SaS - zos'00 AI0aSo w ILL
] his 6 chatteriug, then sat gazing
with startled eyes at the two
undernath.
| ''Can you pray, old man? ask
ed the g ami bier. quietly.
'.Sartinly, answered the trap
per.
"Can you pray in words !? ask
ed the gambler again.
For a moment the trapper hes
itated. Then he said: I can't
gay that [ can. No. I sartlniy
can't that / wonld undertake it
with a reasonable chance of git>
tin through; leastwlse it would
not he IN a way to help man
any,"
'.Is there any way, old man, in
which we can 60 parfners?' asked
the gambler, the vocabulary of
his profession still clung to him
IN the solemn connseling.
81 was thlnkln' OF that, said the
trapper, yis, | was thlnkin' eff We
could sorter jinc works, ard each
help the other by doin' HE own
part himself. Yis, the plan Is a
good un -ye pray for yer,elf, and
Til pray tor myself-and eff I git
IN anything that seems likely to
do ye sarvice, ye can count on ii,
as ye can on groved barrel.
"And now, boy, said the traps
per, with sweet solemn enthu-
siasm, such as faith might give te
suppIicating saint-which light-
ed hls features until lis counte.
nance fairly shone with q light
which came out of it, rather than
upon it from the sun overhead
now, boy remember that the
Lore Is the Lpr0 OF the woods as
well as the cities; and that he will
hear the prayin' OF the poor
hunter under the pines as well as
the great preachers IN the pulpit.
and that when sins be heavy, and
death nigh, His ear aud his heart
be both open.
The trapper knelt on the moss
at the gamblers teet lie clasped
the fingers of his great hand upe
til trey we're lntertaced, and lifted
his wiinkled face upward. He
sal / not word; but the strongly
chlseied lips, scanned with age,
! moved and twitched now and
then, and as the silent prayer
went on, two gr at tears leave the
protection OF the closed lids and
roll down the rugged cheek. The
gambler alsa closed hi, eyes; II g
his hands quietly stole one inc
the other, and, avoiding the
bloody stain, rested on his breast;
and thus the old man, who had
lived beyond the limits of mans
day, and the young one cut down
at the threshold of mature life
. the one kneeling on the moss,
with his fee llftel to Heaven, the
other lying on the moses with
his tace turned t ward the same
sky, without word or uttered
or uttered speech-prayed to the
divine mercy which l,eyond the
heaven, saw the two men un>
dernertn the pines, and met, we
may not doubt, with needed an
swrr the sllent upgolng prayer.
The two opened their eyes
nearly at the same instant. T:,ey
lookeu tor a rloment ut eacL
other, aud then the gambler fee.
bly, lifted his hand; and put it III
the broad palm of the trapper
Not word was said. No wore
was needed. Sometimes men III.
derstand each other better than ny
talking. The gsmhler picked uI
the diamond stud from the spo
where 1t rested slipped the sol
italre from his finger, and said. as
he handed them to the trapper:
!" There's "a girl in Montreal .ha
will like these. You will find hel
picture inside my vest, when yot
bury me. Her address is INSIDE
the case. You will take them tt
]. h r, John Norton.
..Sne shall have them f tom M,
own hards, answered the trappe
gravely.
"You need not disturb the pic
ture, John Norton. said the gam
bier, it's just as wei, perhaps, tt
let II lie where it is, it's beer
} there eight years. Yon under
nd WHIT | mean. oil ma /?
Il understand. ansa cred th,
tfapper, sole,nnly. the picture vii
stay where it is.
"rhe pistols, resumed the gam
bl r. and he gl4nccd at the on
lying on the m 81, | give y,.u
: You'll fiud them true. You a,e
: cept them?
The trapper bowed his head
, is doubtful If he could speak Fo
, several minutes there was silence
The trapper t, ok the gam,ler.
) hand. as IT had bee., his own boy
: Indeed, perhaps the young ma
j had found his father as last; fo
) surely it isn't flesh that make
Y fatherhood. Ouce the young ma