The new dominion. [volume] (Morgantown, W. Va.) 1876-1904, 1881-06-11
THE GAMBLERS END.

gam UieT mAut MS StaHu. SdTSOil,
the detective, was in full pursuit. and
as he bifrst through the balsam he
found himself within twenty feet of
his antagonist. Both men stood for
an instant looking at each other.
Both were experts. Each knew the
other.
"You count" said the gambler,
coolly.
'One, two" said the detective,
'sthree, 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 shirt
front showing 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 Ray
mond."
"Oh, it was all fair, Carson" said
the other carelessly; 'I've held poor
hand from the start
He paused, for the detective had
rushed on, and he was alone.
Twenty rods further on theNaetec-
tive had caught up with the trapper,
who was calmly re-charging his piece.
On the edge of the ledge above, the
halfbreed 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 of the
trapper's left ear was bleeding.
"Pve shot Dick Raymond by the
bals am thicket," said the detective.
9Th afraid he's hard hit"
"Ill go and see the boy" answered
the trapper. you'll find Henry on
up furder. There's only two rnnnin".
You and he can bring them in
The old trapper saw as he descend
ed 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 him and the
shining water, he turned his gaze up
to the trapper's face, and after stud
wing the grave lines for a moment he
| said:
you've won the game, old nan"
The trapper for moment made no
reply. He looked steadily into the
young mans countenance, fixed his
eyes on the left breast, and then said
| to him:
Shall / look at the hole, boy?'
The gambler smiled pleasantly and
nodded his head, saying, cts the
natural thing to do in these cases, l
| believe"
Lifting the hands he unscrewed the
l'selitaire stud from the white bosom.
The trapper knelt by the young mans
side, and laying back the linen from
the chest, wiped the blood stain with
a 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 himself to his feet, not a
shade in the expression of his face
revealing the thought
SIS it my last deal, old manY' he
asked, careIessly.
1--WE seen a good many wounds"
| answered the trapper, "and I've noted
the direction of good many bullets,
and l never knew man to live who
was hit where We be hit, if the lead
had the slant inward, as the piece
has that has gone into We"
| For minute the young man made
no reply. No change came to his
couhtenance. He turned his eye from
the trapper's face and looked pleas
antly off toward the water. He even
whistled line or two of an old love
ballad, then he paused, land, drawn per-
haps by the magnetism of the steady
gaze which the eyes of the trapper
fixed upon him, he looked again in
the old mans face, and said:
4 "What is it John NortonY'
81 be sorry for we, boy~ answered
4 the old man. II be sorry for We, for
life be sweet to the young, and wish
that your years on the earth might
be many"
81 fancy there's good many who
will be glad to hear I'm out of it,was
the careless response.
II don't doubt We have your faults
hoy" answered the trapper, "and I
dare say We have lived loosely, and
did many deeds that was better I'M
did, bat the best use of life be to
learn how to life, and / feel sartain
ye'd have got better as we got older,
and made the last half of your life
wipe out the fust, SO that the figures
for and agin We would have balanced
in the judgment"
lyon aren't fool enough to believe
what the hypocritical Church mem
bers talk, are you, John Norton2
You don't believe that there's any
judgment day, do your
IL don't know much about Church
members" answered the trapper, "for
I've never been in the settlements;
leastways, l never studied the habits
of the creatures, and 1 dare say they
differ, bein' good and bad, and I've
seed some that was certainly vaga-
| hanIc NJ r Jopft l>,orv ,,.n<.b 4 houf