The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1878-07-25
Select STORY.
THE GAMBLERS END.
TFrom Rev. Mr.. Muray's Story in the Golden
N. Rule

Beyond the balsam thicket the gamble
made his stand. Carson, the detective
was in full pursuit, and as he burst thro
the balsams he found himself within
twenty feet of his antagonist. Both mel
stood for an instant, each with a pistol II
his-hand, each looking full at the other
Both were experts. Each knew th'
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 hit.
"Theres some lint and bandage," sale
the detective, and he flung small pack
age into the gamblers lap. 81 hope you
wont die, Dick Raymond"
"Oh, it was all fair, Carson" said the
other, Carelessly. "Tve held poor hand
from the start -"
He paused for the detective had rush
cd on, and he was alone.
Twenty rods further on the detective
caught up with the trapper, who was
calmly reCharging his piece On the edge
of the ledge above the half.breed lay
dead, the lips drawn back from his teeth
and his ugly countenanCe distorted with
hate and rage. A rifle, whose muzzle
smoked, lay at his side; and the edge ol
the trapper's left ear was bleeding.
"I'Ve shot Dick Raymond by the bal
BAN thiCket. Pm afraid he's hard hit, u
said the detective.
"I'll 60 and see the boy. You'll find
Henry furder up. There's only two run
MIN. You and he can bring 'em in, an
Bwered the trapper.
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 as he advanG-
ed, and he reached the gambler, and was
standing almost at his very feet ere the
young man was aware of his presence; as
the trapper passed between him and the
shining water he turned his gaze up to
the trapper's face, and, after studying the
grave lines for a moment, said:
"You'Ye won the game, old man."
The trapper for moment made no re-
ply. He looked steadfastly into the
young mans CountenanCe, fixed his eyes
on the red stain on the left breast, and
then said
"Shall l look at the hole boy ?"
The gambler smiled pleasantly and
nodded his head, saying:
"Its the natural thing to do in these
cases, | believe"
Lifting the hands, he unbuttoned the
collar, and unsCrewed the solitaire stud
from tie white bosom. The trapper
knelt by the young mans side, and lay
ing back the linen from the chest, wiped
the blood stain With piece of lint from
the white skin, and carefully studied the
edges of the wound, seeking to ascertain
the direction which the bullet had taken
as it 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 his thought.
Is it my last deal, old man ?" asked the
gambler, Carelessly.
II have seed a good many wounds ald
I have noted the direction ofa good many
bullets, and never knowed man live
who was hit where ye be hit ef the lead
had the slant inward, as the piece had
that has gone into ye," answered the
trapper.
For minute the young man made no
reply. No change came to his Counte-
nance. He turned his eyes from the
trapper's face and looked pleasantly off
toward the water. He even whistled
line or two of an old love ballad, then he
paused, and drawn, perhaps by the mag
netism of the steady gaze which the eyes
of the trapper fixed upon him, he
looked again into the old mans face and
said:
"What is it, John Norton2"
II be sorry for ye, boy. l be sorry for
ye, for life be sweet to the young, and
wish yer years might be many on the
arth," answered the old man.
II fancy there's good many who will
be glad to hear I'm out of it," was the
careless response.
II don't doubt ye have yer faults, boy
answered the trapper, "and dare say
We have lived loosely and did many deeds
that was better undid, but the best use
of life be to learn how to live, and feel
sartin ye'd have got better as ye got old
or, and made the last half of yer life wipe
out the fust, 80 that the figures for and
agin ye would have balanced in the jedg.
ment."
"You aren't fool enough to believe
what the hypOCritiCal church members
talk, are you, John Norton2 You don't
believe there's any judgment.day, do
you ?"
Tdon'tknoW much about church
bers," answered the trapper, "for I've
never ben in the settlements leastwise,
I've never studied the habits of the crea-
turs, and / dare say they differ, bein'
good and bad, and I've seed some that
was sartinly vagabonds. No, don't
know much about church'members but
/ sartinly believe, yis, know, there is a |
day when the Lord shall jedge the livin' |
and the dead and the honest tIapper
shall stand on one side and the vagabond
Ehst pliers his skins and steals his traps
shall stand on the other. This is what
the Book says, and it sartinly seems rea.
sonable, for the deeds that he did on the
arth be of two sorts, and the folks that
do 'em be of two kind, and atween the
two the Lord, eff He notes any thing,
must make dividin' line"
"And when do you think this Judge |
ment is, John Norton ?" asked the gam
bier, as if he was actually enjoying the |
crude but honest ideas of his companion.
The trspper hesitated moment before
he spoke, then he said:
Il conceit that the iedgmellt be always |
aoin' on. It's q court that never adiourns,
and deserters and the knaves and the |
in the regiment be always on
trial. But conceit that there comes a
day TO every man, good and bad, where |
the record of his deeds be looked over |