Show the hunters last shot to bee see an om old trapper or hunter in his buckskin garb armed with rifle knife and toma ie is not a very unusual thing in the city of st louis for that town is the head quary lers ieli of the nor h wes ern fur company compan and the names of the aubres aubreye Aub Au bres reys ac are i historically affixed thereto I 1 some few years go I 1 was sitting in the reading room of the virgnia virginia hotel there con with a gentleman on business when aj old man dressed and completely armed as a hunter or trapper is when in his accustomed wilds entered and minutely scanned the countenance of every person present elewa he was evidently quite old and very thin brid arid feeble looking as if he had recently arisen from a couch of sickness yet his dark eye beamed brightly even fiercely in I 1 its t s sunken socket and anahis hid his erect form seemed to struggle 91 against g ainest we llie mortal darkness which p prevailed revae F ea it athe the old man shook his head as he finished ill lit algazi around the room and hutterli mutt muttering erli ngin ng in a I 1 low flow tone the cuss is not here lie he burned turned way away having fini finished my business I 1 also left and up to the he planters notise where I 1 was boarding when I 1 arrived it lacked buta butra but a few minutes of dinner time and the guests were gathering in the sitting room waiting for i the gon pong gong to sound iliad entered when j the old hunter who had before at attracted my ray attention also came in and as before commenced an inspection of every countenance t suddenly his eye flashed with fire more fierce than than ever I 1 saw glowin human face be tore and be he strode up to a ayoung young fellow who bore the name of being the most daring hunter of the northwest north west company of which he was a trading agent when in the hunt and the most reckless gambler gambier and wildest debau i shee c hap of the crowd when he was in the city cit his name was Aug auguste liste st vrain train only three days before I 1 had seen him on bloody island 3 so the river opposite st louis stand at ten p haces paces against one brie of the best beit shots in an fn the city and a nd nota not a nerve ednor did his face pale but he winged ringed his man as coolly as if he had been beeh shooting at 4 a bird yet now when that oid 1 old id man step stepped td up before him and lie he caught fe up a t ala glance Alz ince of hat h at fiery 16 i ry eye his presence of mind and courage seemed utterly to fail him and he trembled while the old mans voice loud lovd and clear as a bugle rang in his ear 11 1 I have sought bought you long auguste st vrain and at last I 1 have found you remember adele 1 As ks he spoke the ominous clink of the old ggs mans rifle was heard astonished into silence the crowd drew to either side while st vrain train tearing his shirt bosom open said in a low hopeless tone fire old man I 1 deserve it the old hunter had arcely scarcely ac waited for tor the word for ere st trains last word was keli kep I 1 the bullet from the hunters rifle had passed through his heart ile he sunk a corpse to the floor murmuring murmuring t 0 only 11 I 1 y one word adele the old man stood and gazed at the body a moment ent then muttered it is right have filea fired my last shot jn in a moment he was wassel seized zed he made no resistance si and hurried off to prison As I 1 then a practicing attorney in the courts that thit city feeling eeling f a sympathy for the old man I 1 availed myself to go to him and freely offered c d my services he ile received me calmly kindly kindi int rbt y but his voice was very feeble as be he rc re ed its little use you can be to me ine lne sir bir for I 1 have fired my nay last shot and tramped my ray last t tramp mp but ahyou as you seem to be about the on only i ly mend friend I 1 have around here I 1 may as well ease my rny mind and tell you why I 1 shot st vrain two year years ago sago I 1 would have shot myself sooner ei than raise raibe a hand to harm a hair on his iliad lead he ile was young handsome brave as good rod a trapper as overdrew ever drew bead on a grizzles grizz lys yop acy eye gloved I 1 loved lovea him aim yi az grizzl grizzi the 76 old mans nans voice g brewi rewie busky busty his bis lips lipi quivered he lie P paused aused I 1 ft A moment jand d tuen then pa proceeded 11 1 I was not the only onix on one i tha that i lovd loved him my aly adele then only sixteen the image of her poor poon dead mother she loved him and he ier ger reap ended to love her he promised to marry er and under that promise ruined her age and shame made her keep the secret until it could no 10 longer nger be kept then he fled from her left her to bring b ng a babe into the world and then to die broken hearted with it upon her bosom both of them sleep in one grave on the banks of the yellowstone for a time I 1 thought I 1 would ifould have to lay down there too before I 1 found him but I 1 kept up until my work was done mare not for life now I 1 tried to cheer up the old man I 1 told him that the mere recital of his wrongs before a western jury would acquit him but he only shook his head and muttered 1 my last shot is fired and I 1 am at the end of my last tramp one week afterwards a few of us who had discovered in him a brother of the mystic tie gave him honorable burial in a neighboring cemetery for he passed away as quietly as if he had lain him down by a pleasant campfire to rest after a long and weary hunt green were the sprigs cast in his grave and true the hands that threw them there I 1 |