Freeland tribune. (Freeland, Pa.) 1888-1921, 1893-10-26

THE LAST DEAL WAS sHoNs
watched the ominous preparations for
the game
The two men satdown, Shon McGann
facing the bar and Pretty Pierre with
his back to it.
The game began, neither man show
Ing sign of nervousness, though Shon
was still pale. The game was to finish
for ten points. Men crowded about the
tables silent and keenly excited; cigars
were chewed instead of smoked, and
liquor was left undrunk. At the first
deal Pierre made march, securing
two At the next Shon make point.
and at the next also a march. The
half-breed was playing straight game.
He could have stacked the cards, but he
did not do SO; deft as he was he might
have cheated even the vigilant eyes
about him, as he had done before; but
he played as squarely as novic6 At
the third, at the fourth deal he made
march; at the fifth, sixth and seventh
deals Shon made a march, a point and
march. Both now had eight poin is
At the next deal both got point, and
both stood at nine!
Now came the crucial play.
During the progress of the game moth
ing had been heard save the sound of a
knuckle on the able, the flip flip of the
paste board or the rasp of u heel on the
floor. There was set smile on Shon's
face-a forgotten smile, for the rest of
the face was stern and tragic Pierre
smoked cigarettes, pausing, while his
opponent was shuffiing and dealing, to
light them.
Behind the bar as the game proceeded
the woman who knelt beside Lady Jane
listened to every sound. Hereyes grew
more and more agonized as the num-
bers, whispered to her by her compan-
ion, climbed to the fatal ten.
The last deal was Shon's; there was
that much to his advantage AS he
slowly dealt the woman-Lucy Rives-
rose to her feet behind Lady Jane. So
absor bed were all that none saw her.
Her eyes passed from Pretty Pierre to
Shon McGann and stayed.
When the cards were dealt, with but
one point for either to gain and so win
and save his life, there was a slight
pause be fore the two took them up.
They did not look at one another; but
each glanced at the revolver then at
the Inen nearest to them, and lastly
for an instant at the cards themselves
with their paste board faces of life and
death turned downward. As the play
ers picked them up at last and spread
them out fan-like, Lady Jane slipped
some thing into the hand of Lucy
Rives-
Those who stood behind Shon Nc
Gam stared with anxious astonishment
at his hand it contained only nine and
ten spots. 1t was easy to see tho di-
rection of the sympathy of Pipi Valley.
The Irishman's face turned a slight
shade paler then, but he did not trem-
BILE or appear disturbed.
Pierre played his biggest card and
took the point He coolly counted one
and said: Game l win"
The crowd drew back. Both rose to
their feet In the painful silence the
half breeds hand was gently laid on
the revolver, He lifted it and paused
slightly, his eyes fixed on the steady
look in those of Shon McGann. He
raised the revolver again till it was
level with Shon's forehead, till it was
even with his hairl Then there was a
shot and some one fell, not Shon, but
Pierre, saying, as they caught him:
mon Dieu! Mon Dieul From behindr'
Instantly there was another shot and
some one crashed against the bottles in
the bar. The other factor in the game,
the wife, had shot at Pierre and then
senta bullet through her own lungs.
Shon stood for moment as if he was
turned to stone, and then his head
dropped in his arms upon the table.
He had seen both shots fired, but could
not speak in time
Pierre was severely, but not danger
ously wounded in the neck and shout
der.
But the woman? They brought
her out from behind the counter She
still breathed; but on her eyes was the
film of coming death. She turned to
where Shon sat. Her lips framed his
name, but no voice came forth. Some
one touched him on the shoulder He
looked up and caught her last glance.
lie came and stopped beside her; but
she had died with that one glance from
him bringing a faint smile to her lips.
And the smile stayed when the life of
her had fled-fed through the cloud
over her eyes, from the tide beat of her
pulse.
Shon McGann stood silent above the
dead body.
One by one the miners went out
quietly Pretty Pierre nodded towards
the door also, and King Kinlley and
another lifted him and carried him to-
wards it. Before they passed into the
street he made them turn him SO that
he could see Shon. He waved his hand
towards her that had been his wife and
said: ''She should have shot but once
and straight, Shon McGann, and theni
Eth, wellr'
The door closed, and Shon McGana
was left alone with the dead.