The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1878-07-26
THE GAMBLERS END.


Beyond the balsam thicket the gam
bier made his stand. Carson, the de-
tective, was in fpll pursuit, anil as he
burst through the balsams he found
himself within twenty feet of his antago-
mist. Both men stood for an instant,
each with pistol in his hand, each look
ing full at the other. Both were experts.
Each knew the other.
"You count" said the gambler,
coolly.
Zone, two" said the detective,
"three. Firep
One pistol alone sounded. The gam
bler's had failed to explode.
You've won; you needn't deal
again, said the gambler. And then he
dropped. The red stain on his shirt
front showed where he was kit
There's some lint and a bandage."
said the detective, and he flung small
package into the gamblers lap. 81
hope you won't die, Dick Raymond"
"Oh, it was all fair, Carson. " said the
other, careless]y: tive held a poor
hand from the start
He paused: for the detective had
rushed on, and he was alone.
Twenty rods further on the detective
caught rp with the trapper, who was
calmly recharging his piece. On the
edge OF the ledge above the half-breed
lay dead, the lips drswn back from his
teeth. and his ugly countenance distorted
with hate and rage. A rifle, whose muz-
zle smoked, lay at his side, and the edge
OF the trapper's lett ear was bleeding.
I've shot Dick Raymond by the bal.
sam thlcket," said the detective. "pm
afraid he's hard hit.
LII go and see the boy" answered
the trapper. you'll find Henry furder
up. There's only two runnin'. You
and he can bring 'em in
The old trapper saw, as he descended
the hill, the BODY reclining on the
moses at the edge of the balsam thicket
The earth gave back no sound ms he adj
vanced, and he reached the gambler and
was standing almost at his very feet ere
the young man was aware of his pres.
ence; but, as the trapper passed be-
tween him and the shining water he
turned his gaze up to the trapper's face.
ana, after studying the grave lines for a
moment, said
You've won the game, old man."
The trapper for a moment made no
reply. He looked steadily into the
young mans countenence. fixed his ewes
on the red stain on the left breast and
then said: ''1''
"Shan l look at the hole, boy ?"
The gambler smiled pleasantly and
nodded his head, saying: "Ttis the
natural thing to do in these cases T he
Ieve." Lifting the hands, he nnbnt-
toned the cellar and unscrewed the soli-
taire SUD IRON the white bosom. The |
'trapper knelt by the young mans side.
ana, laying back the linen from the
'cnest, wiped the blood stain with a
piece OF lint from the white skin. and
carefully studied the elges of the
wound, seeking to ascertain the direc- |
ton which the bullet had taken as IL |
penetrated the flesh. At last he drew
his face back, and lifted himself to his
feet, not shade in the expression of his
face revealing bis thought.
is 1t my last deal, old man Q" asked
the gambler, carelessly.
have seed a good many wounds +"
answered the trapper, "and Ihave noted
the direction of good many bullets.
and L never knowed man to live who
was hit where We be hit eff the lead had
the slant inward, as the piece had that
has gone into We"
For minute the young man male no
reply. No change came to his coupte-
nance. He turned his eyes from the
trapper's face and looked pleasantly off
toward the water. He even whistjed a
II me or Two OF an old love ballad then
he paused, and, drawn, perhaps, by the
magnetism of the steady gaze which the
ey' OF the trapper fixed upon him. he
looked again into the old man face. and
said ''-'
What is it, John Norton"
=. E" L be sorry for We, boy" answered
the old man. 81 be sorry for We. for
life be sweet to the young, and I wish
yer years might be many on the artb.
Z" fancy there'sa good many who will
be glad to hear I'm out of it." was the
careless response.
81 don't dou,t We have yer faults.
boy" answered the trapper, and dare
say We have lived loosely, and did many
many deeds that was better undid, bnt
the best use of life be to learn how TO
live, and feel sartin ye'd have got bet
ter as ye got older, and made the last
half of yer life wipe out the fuet. so that
The figures for and agin We would have
balanced IN the Judgment"
"You aren't fool enough to believe
what the hypocritical church members
talk, are you, John Norton? You don't