Juniata sentinel and Republican. [volume] (Mifflintown, Juniata County, Pa.) 1873-1955, 1881-02-02


in the vibrations of his voice, Eye be nigl
the Judgment day. yerself, and the deed
We have did, both the good and the bad
will be passed in review"
81 reckon there isn't much chance fo
me if your view is sound, John Norton.
And for the first time, his tone lost it,
cheerful recklessness.
The court be court of marcy; anC
the jedge looks upon 'em that comes up fol
trial as ef he was their father"
THAT ends 1t, old man." answered the
gambler. MY father never showed mt
any mercy when was boy. If he had
| shouldn't have been here now. If did
a wrong deed, / got it to the last inch OF
the lash, and the words were more in.
tensely bitter because spoken so quietly
1.-The fathers of the 'arth, boy, be not
like the father of heaven, for l have seed
'em correct their children beyond reason,
and without marcy. They whipped in
their rage, and not in their wisdom they
whipped, because they were strong, and
not because OF their love; they whipped,
when they should have forgiven, and got
what they arnt-the hatred of their chill
dren. But the father of heaven be differ
ent, boy. He knows that men be weak,
as well as wicked. He knows that half of
EN- .havnn't had fair chance, and so he
overlooks much; and when he can't over
look 1t, / conceit he sorter forgives in a
lump. Yis, he subtracts all he can from
the evil we have did boy, and ef that isn't
enough to satisfy his feelin's toward man
that might have ben different eff he d had a
fair start he jest wipes the whole row of
figurs clean out at the askin'."
AT the asking?" said the gambler;
that's mighty quick game. Did you
ever pray, John Norton?"
''Sartin, sartiD, | be a prayIn' man" ;"
said the trapper, sturdily.
AT the asking!" murmured the gam
bier, softly.
THAT S the line the trail takes, ye can de-
pend on it and it will bring We to the eend
of the great clearIn in peace"
Its quick DEAL" said the gambler,
speaking to himself, utterly unconscious of
the incongruity of his speech TO his thought.
''It's quick deal, but | can see that it
might end as he says, if the feeling was
right
For moment nothing was SAID. The
trapper stood looking steadfastly at the
young man on the moss, as he lay with his
quiet face turned up to the sky, to whose
color bad already come the first shade of
the awful whiteness.
Upthe mountain rifle cracked. Neither
stirred. A red squirrel ran out upon the
limb, twenty feet above the gamblers
head, and shook the silence into fragments
with his chatterIng; then sat gazing with
startled eyes at the two men underneath.
Can you pray, old manfn asked the
gambler, quietly.
''SartInly," answered the trapper.
Can you pray in words p asked the
gambler again.
For moment the trapper hesitated.
Then he said: Il can't say that l can. No,
l sartinly can't say that | could undertake
it with a reasonable chance of gittin'
through: leastwise, it wouldn't be In way
to help man any,
SIS there any way, old man, IN which
we can go partners 2" asked the gambler,
the vocabulary of whose profession still
clung to him in the solemn counseling.
II was thinkin' of that" answered the
trapper; ''yis, was thinkin' ef we couldn't
sorter jine works, and each help the other
by doin' his own part himself. Yis,' con-
tinued the old man, after moments re-
Election, ''the plans good un-ye pray
for yerself, and I'll pray for myself-and
ef | can git in anything that seems likely to
do ye sarvice, ye can count on it, as ye can
on grooved barrel"
Sand now, boy" said the trapper, with
a sweetly solemn enthusiasm, such as faith
might give to a supplicating saint,-which
lighted his features until his countenance
fairly shone with light which came out OF
it, rather than upon it from the sun over
head-''now, boy, remember that the Loi
is Lord of the woods, as well as of {
cities, and that he heareth the prayin'
the poor hunter under the pines, as well
the great preachers IN the pulpits, and Il
when sins be heavy and death be nigh,
ear and His heart be both OPEN"
The trapper knelt on the moss at t
gamblers feet. He clasped the fingers
his great hands until they interlaced,
lifted his wriEkled face upward. He S;
not word; but the strongly chiseled liz
and then, and as the silent prayer went
two great tears eft the protection of I
closed lids and rolled down his rugg
cheek. The gambler also closed his eye
then his hands quietly stole one into {
other, and, avoiding the bloody stain, rest
on his breast and thus, the old man W
had lived beyond the limit of mans de
and the yonng one, cut down at the thres
old of mature lIfe-the one kneeling ont
MOSES, with his face lifted to Heaven, I
other lying on the moses, with his fe
turned toward the same skY, without wo
Or uttered speech-prayt to the dvi
mercy which beyond the heaven and
sky saw the two men underneath the pin,
and met, we may not doubt, with need
answer the silent upgoing prayer.
The two opened their eyes nearly at t
same instant. They looked for nome
1t each other, and then the gambler feel
ifted his hand, and put it into the bro
palm of the trapper. Not VOID was sa5
No word was needed. Sometimes men
ierstand each other better than by talkin.
Then the gambler picked the diamond ST
rom the spot where it rested, slipped
solitaire r.ng from his finger, and said,
he handed them to the trapper:
''rhere's girl N Montreal that will Ii
hese. You will find her picture inside NJ
rest, when you bury me. Her address
inside the picture case. You will tai
hem to her, John Norton Z"
''Sheshall have them from my own hand,
the trapper, gravely.
'sYou needn't disturb the picture, job
Norton," SAID the gambler, ''it's just a
veil, perhaps, to let it lie where it is; it,
,een there eight years. You understand
what / mean, old mani"
81 understand" answered the trapper,
olemnly; 1.-The picture shall stay where
t is"
1.-The pistols" resumed the gambler, and |
lie glanced at the one lying on the moss,
Il give to you. You'll find them true.
I ou will accept themf"
The trapper bowed his head. 1t Is doubt
ul if he conld speak. For several minutes
here was silence The end was evidently |
high. The trapper took the gamblers
land, as if it had been the hand OF his own !
loy. Indeed. perhaps the Young man had