The news and herald. (Winnsboro, S.C.) 1877-1900, 1881-02-17
The Gamblers End.

The Gamblers End.
Beyond the balsam thickct the gambler
made his stand. Carson, the detective,
was in full pursuit, and as he burst through
the balsams he found himself within twenty
feet Of his antagonist. Both men stood
for an instant, each looking full at the
other. Both were experts Each knew
the other.
"You COUNT said the gambler, coolly.
zone, two," said the detective, "thrce.
Fire /"
One pistol alone sounded. The gamblers
had failed to explode!
you've won, you needn't deal again. "
said the gambler. And then he dropped.
The red stain on his white shirt front
showed where lie was hit.
''Ihere's some lint and bandagc," said
the detective. and he ilung small package
into the gamblers lap. III hope you won't
die, Dick Raymond"
ooh, it was all fair, Carson" said the
other, carelessly. "l'vc held poor hand
from the start"
He paused, for the detective had rushed
OH, and he was alone.
Twenty rods further OH the detective
caught up with the rappcr, who was calmly
rccharging his piece. On the edge OF tue
ledge above, the half. breed lay dead, the
lips drawn back from his teeth, and his
ugly countenancc distorted with hate and
rage. Il rifle, whose muzzle smoked, lay
at his side; and the edge of the trappcr's
left ear was bleeding.
"I'vc shot Dick Raymond by the bal
sam thicket, said the detective. "l'm
afraid he's hard hit"
'Tll 60 and see the boy" answered the
trappcr. ''Ioull find Henry furder up.
There's only two runnin' You and he
car bring 'em ill.,"
The Old trappcr 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 advanced, and
he reached the gambler, and was standing
almost at his very feet, ere the young man
was aware of his presence; but as the
trapper passed between hun and the shin
ing water, he turned his gaze up to the
trapper's, face, and, after studying the
grave lines for moment said:-
you've won the game, old man."
The trapper for moment made no re-
ply. He looked stcadfastly into the young
mans countenance, fixed his eyes on the
red stain on the left breast, and then said :
''Shall look at the hole, boy 2"
The gambler smiled pleasantly and nod
dcd his head, saying, "It's the natural
thing to do in these cases, believe" Lift
ing The hands, he unbuttoncd the collar,
and unscrewed the solitaire stud from the
white bosom. The trappcr knelt by the
young mans side, and laying 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 10 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 the
thought.
sis it my last deal, old man ?" asked
the gambler, carclcssly.
81 have seed a good many wounds, y an
swcrcd the trapper, "apd I've noted the
direction of good many bullets, and l
never knowcd Il man to live who was hit
where ye be hit cf the lead had the slant
inward, as the piece had that has gone into
ye."
For minute the young man made no
reply. No change came to ohiscountcnance.
lie turned his eyes from the trappcr's face
and looked pleasantly oil toward the water.
lie even whistlcd a line or two Of an old
iofC baiiuN1 tuCh patoCti, uIhW II
perhaps by the magnetism Of the steady
gaze which the eyes Of the trappcr fixed
upon him, he looked again into the old
mans face, and said =
"What is 1t, John Norton 2'
IL be sorry for ye, boy" answered the
old man. IL be sorry for yc, for life be
sweet to the young, and l wish that ycr
years might be many on the earth"
fancy 81 no III
be glad to hear Pm out Of it," was the care
less response.
III don't doubt yc have yer faults, boy
answered the trappcr, land dare say ye
have lived loosely, and did many deeds
that was better undid, but the best use Of
liic be 10 learn how TO live, and feel sar.
tain ye'd have got better as yc got older
and made the last half Of yer llfc wipe ou,
tho fust so that the figures for and agr
yc would have balanced in the jcdgmcnl.'
'You aren't fCOl enough TO believe what
The hypocrilical church members talk, arc
you, John NortonY You don't believe thai
there's any judgment day, do you2"
II don't know much about church mem
btrs," answered the trapp.r, "for rvt
never ben in the settlements; lcastwise
Iyc never studied the habits of the Gre
turs, and dare say they diltcr, bcn' goo(
and bad, and l'vc seed some that was sar
tnly vagabonds. No, don't know mucl
about church members, but | sartnly be-
licve; yls, know there be day when tho
Lord, shall jcdgc The livin' and the dead
and the honest lrappcr shall stand on one
side, and the vagaDond that pliers his skins
and steals his traps shall stand on the
other. This is what the book says, and II
sartinly seems reasonable; for the deeds
That be did Oh the earth be of two sorts,
and the folks that do 'cm be of two kind,
and atwecn the two, the Lord, Of he notes