Omaha daily bee., 1890-11-10
THE OMAHA DAILY BEE MONDAY, NOVEMBER TO- 1890

appeared, than his partner began to re-
fleet upon the extent of the privation to
which he had pledged himself for no less
n period than fourteen days. For the
first tweuty.fOur hours his good resou-
tions were bracing enough to keep him
in the path of (comparative) virtue; but
precisely because lie had sworn not to
touch liquor, the craving for IL grew
upon him, until his condition was truly
pitiable, He held out, Notwithstanding
the. cumulative weight of his tempta-
tions, to the end of the first week. Then
he fell like Lucifer-'never to rise
again" This was no ordinary spree.
The law of proportions necessitated its
adaptation to the causes which had pro-
duced it, There had been every reason
for abstaining from drink, therefore
there was every reason for drinking
more heavily than ever when he did
begin. Bill Dresser was not quarrel
some in his cups, or he would certainly
have been killed during thisspree, for he
WIS perfectly reckless His neighbor
birds of prey, of course, took prompt ad-
vantage of his condition. He had closed
his game, but he saved nothing by that,
for he immediately proceeded to bet
upon all the other games in the camp.
AS not one Of these games was Square"
it followed that Bill lost his and his
partners capital rapidly; but this
did not check HIM. He was, in
truth, in the state called FEY" by the
Scotch-that peculiar state in which
death being decreed, the predestined
victim is supposed to be mysteriously
impelled to carry his own doom into
effect. He drank deeply, and gambed
wildly, until the day before Farley was
expected back. Then he stopped play
ing, because he no longer possessed
dollar, and he stopped drinking, because
the barkeeper refused to give him
credit. So the weeks furious excite
ment ended, and left u shaking, half
delirious, remorseful, shame -burdened
wretch in the place of the iaunty and
self-conlident Bill Dresser. Having now
nothing else to do, he thought, and
though his thoughts could not, in the
state of his system, be healthy or nor
NAL ones, they none the less led him to
n fixed resolve, which he proceeded to
carry out as soon as his partner arrived.
He found it necessary to beg II stiff
drink of whisky before facing his injured
friend, for he was very tremulous and
unnerved Of course, there was stormy
scene; in fact, Farley was beside himself
with rage and disgust at his own folly in
running such risk, But the thing was
done, the bank was broken, and the
veteran gambler had seen too many ups
and downs not to have achieved certain
measure Of philosophy. In short, he
could have Gained down by degrees if
let alone; but Bill Dresser's destiny
still in the stage of white heat, his
partner stood up before him, and spoke
thus:
"See here, Jim, yer can't feel any
worse nor do, an yer can't despise me
worse nor despises myself. But that's
little use to talk about. YER robbed,
an in the meanest way, an I'm the
dirty thief. Now, ef you woke
and found galoot goin' through
yer clothes, wouldn't you shoot him?
Well, this 'eres a par'lel case and ye'r'
entitled to yer revenge. Wot say is
for you to jest take me out to tn edge of
the sage-brush, and put ball through
my head. amt no good, no ways, an
mebbe eff you don't do it, shall light
out that way myself"
jim Farley looked hard at. his part
ner, and after moment replied:
"By thunder, Bill you do deserve to
be wiped out!n
WELL" returned Dresser, perhaps u
little peevishly, why don't yer wipe
me out, then?"
This lrrltated the other, and some
how seemed to put him on his mettle,
and merely saying: Come oni I will"
he stepped from the tent where the eX
planatiOn had been made, and strobe
toward the dreary waste of sage-brush-
covered plain that stretched in dismal
tlatness all around the camp. Dresser
followed calmer and cooler than before.
They halted a hundred yards from the
outermost tent. Farley drew his re-
volver, examined it carefully, and then
asked his late pattner if he had ANY
thing to say-last words or sech?"
Bill Dresser merely shook his head.
He was alone in the world. He had
nothing to bequeath, and nobody to be-
queath it to. A look passed between
the two men; look of farewell, for
giveness, and rancor and shame all
mingled together. Farley raised his
pistol. a sharp report followed, and Il
| man holding a smoking revolver in his
hand stood alone, looking down at some
thing that lay still enough at his feet
Bill Dresser had eXpiated his offense as
far as he could.
Nothing was done against jim Farley,
who in due time died with his boots
on" II any reader thinks this story in
credible | shall not be surprised. Truth
is often incredible, and this relation ic
true.