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

The Gamblers End.
Beyond the balsam thicket 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, ''three
Firei'
One pistol alone sounded. The gamblers
had failed to exploded
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 he was hit
There's some lint and bandage," said
the detective and he flung a small package
into the gamblers lap. ~ hope you won't
die, Dick Raymond
''Oh, it was all fair, Carson" said the
other, carelessly. 1--WE held poor hand
from the START
He paused, for the detective had rushed
on. and he was alone.
Twenty rods further or the detective
caught up with the irapper, who was calmly
recharging mis- piece. On tine 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 i rifle, whose muzzle smoked, lay
at his side; and the edge of the trapper's
left ear was bleeding.
''i've shot Dick Raymond by the bal
sam thicket, said the detective. ''I'm
afraid he's hard hit"
''I'll 90 and see the boy" answered the
trapper. You'll ind Henry furder up.
There's only two runnin'. You and he
cap bring 'em in."
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 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 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 a 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 | look at the hole, boy ~
The gambler smiled pleasantly and nod
ded his head, saying, Its the natural
thing to do in these cases, 1 believe" Lift
ing The hands, he unbuttoned the collar,
and unscrewed the solitaire 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, ard
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 fees, not a shade in
the expression Of his face revealing the
thought.
rs it my last deal, old man?'' asked
the gambler, carelessly.
Il have seed good many wounds, an
swered the tTapper, land I've noted the
direction of good many bullets, and /
never knowed a man to live who was hit
where We be hit ef 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 ohiscountenance.
lie turned his eyes from the trapper's face
and looked pleasantly of toward the water.
lie even whistled line or two of an old
love ballad, then he paused, and, drawn
perhaps by the magnetism Of the steady
gaze which the eyes of the trapper fXec
upon him, he looked again into the old
mans face, and said:-
''What is 1t, John Norton?"
Il be sorry Tor ye, boy" answered the
old man. Il be sorry for ye, for life be
sweet to the young, and l wish that yer
years might be many on the earth. "
Il fancy there's good many who will
be glad to hear Pm out of it, was the care |
less response.
Il don't doubt ye have yer faults, boy"
answered the trapper, land l dare say ye |
have lived loosely, and did many deeds |
that was better undid, but the best use of
lite be 10 learn how TO live, and feel sar-
tain ye'd have got better as ye got older, |
and made the last half of yer hfe wipe out /
the fust, so that the figures for and agln /
ye would have balanced in the Judgment.
''You aren't fool enough to believe what |
the hypocritical church members talk, are
you, John Norton? You don't believe that
there's any judgment day, do your
Il don't know much about church men,
bers," answered the trapper, ''for I've
never ben in the settlements; leastwise,
I've never studied the habits of the Gre
turs, and dare say they difTer, bein' good
and bad, and I've seed some that was sar
tinly vagabopds. No, don't know much
about church members but / sartlnly be-
lieve; yIs, l know there be day when the
Lord, shall jedge the livin' and the dead;
and the honest trapper shall stand on one
side, and the vagabond that pilfers his skins
and steals his traps shall stand on the
other. This is what the book says, and 1t
sartinly seems reasonable; for the deeds
that be did Oh the earth be of two sorts,
and the folks that do 'em be of two kind,
and atween the two, the Lord, ef he notes
ANYTHING, must make dividin' line"
And when do you think this judgment
is, John Norton Z" asked the gambler, as
if he was actually enjoying the crude but
honest ideas OF his companion The trap
per LesitaIed moment before he spoke,
then he said
Il conceit that the Judgment be always |
goln, on. It's court that never adjourns, /
and the deserters and the knaves and the
disobedient IN the regiment be always on
trial But | conceit that there comes
day TO every man, good and bad, when the
record OF his deeds be locked over from tina |
start, and the good and the bad counted
up; and IN that day he gifts the final jedg- |