The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1881-02-16
THE GAMBLERS END.

he DurSt tnrOuSii ehS
found himself within twenty feet OF
his antagonist. Both men stood Tor
an instant, each looking full at the
other. Both were experts. Each
knew the other.
aYou count said the gambler,
coolly.
@0ne. two" said the detective,
''three. Fire. -,
One pistol alone sounded. The
gamblers had failed to explode i,
aYou've won, you needn't deal
aqainn y said the gambler. And then
he dropped. The red stain on his
white shirt-front showed where he
was hit. :.
"There's some lint and bandage,
said the detective, and he flung a
small package into the gamblers :
lap. Il hope you won't die, Dick
Raymond" :,
ooh. it was all fair. Carson, said
the other. carelessly. "l'ye held a
poor hand from the start
He paused, for the detective had
rushed on, and he was alone
Twenty rods further on the detec-
tive caught up with the trapper,who
was calmly recharging his piece; On
the edge of the ledge above, the halt
breed Law dead, the lips drawn back
from his teeth, and his ugly counte-
nance distorted with hate and rage.
A rife. whose muzzle smoked, lay at
his side: and the edge of the trap
per's left car was bleeding.
"I'ye shot Dick Raymond by the
balsam thicket," said the detective
'sI'm afraid he's hard hit"
"Ill 90 andsee 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 de-
scended the hill, the body reclining
on the moses at the edge of the bal
sam thicket. The earth gave back
no sound as he advanced, and he
reached the gambler, and was stand
ing 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, ht
turned his gaze up to the trapper
face. and, after studying the grave
lines for moment said:
you've won the game, old man.
The trapper for a moment made
no reply. He looked steadfastly int
the young mans countenance, fixec
his eyes on the red stain on the lef
breast, and then said:
Shall look at the hole, boyT
Thegambler smiled pleasantly an'
nodded bis head, saying, Its tn.
natural thing to do in these eases,
believe" Lifting the hands, he un
screwed the solitaire stud from tn
white bosom. The trapper knelt b,
the young mans side, and layini
back the linen from the chest, wipes
The blood-stain with a piece of lin
from the white skin, and CAREFUL,
studied the edges of the wound
seeking TO ascertain the direction
which the bullet had taken as it pen
etrated the flesh. At last he dreN
himself to his feet, not a shade i
the expression of his face reyeaiin
the thought.
rs it my last deal, old man?
asked the gambler, carelessly.
"I're seed good many wounds,
answered the trapper, "and I've nc
ted the direction of good man
bullets. and ] never knew man I
live who was hit where We be hit
the lead had the slant inward, as th
piece had that has gone into ye."
For a minute the eyoungm man mad
no reply. No change came to hi
eountenance. turned his eye froI
the trapper's face and looked plea
artlv off toward the water. He eve
whistled line or two of an old los
ballad, then he paused, and, draw
perhaps by the magnetism of th
steady gaze which the eyes of tn
trapper fixed upon him, he locke
again into the old mans face, an
said:
"What is it, John Norton?"
Il be sorry for We, boy? ?" answere
the old man. Il be sorry for ye, fc
life be sweet to the young, and
wish that yer years might be man
on the earth"
81 fancy there's a good MANY wh
will be glad to hear I'm out of it
was the careless response.
Il don't doubt We have yer fault
bow" answered the trapper, land
dare saw We have lived loosely, an
did many deeds that was better III
did. but the best use of life be
learn how to live, and | feel sarti
we'd have got better as ye got olde
and made the last half of yer Iii
wipe out the fust, so that the figure
for and agin We would have balance
in the Judgment"
"You aren't fool enough to belieg
what the hypocritical church men
bers talk. are you, John Norton
You don't believe that there's an
judgment day, do you"
Il don't know much about churc
members" answered the trappe
sfor I've never been in the settl
ments; leastwise, i never studio
the habits of thecreatures. and | dal
say they differ, bein' good and ba,
and I've seed some that was sartinl
vagsbonds. No, / don't know muc
about church members, but sartil
ly belieye; yis, | know there be
dav when the lord shall jedge IL
iiyin' and the dead; and the hone
trapper shall stand on one side. an
the vagsbond that pliers his skin
and steals his traps shall stand @
the other. This is what the boo
SAYS, and it sartinly seems reasons
bic: for the deeds that be did on IL
earth be of two sorts, and the foil
that do 'em be of two kind, an
atween the two, the Lord, efhe not
anything, must make a dividi
line"
And when do YOU think til
judgment is, John Norton ?" aske
the gambler. as if he was actual
enjoying the crude but honest idei
OF his companion. The trappes he