The Gambler

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Outside a pretty cottage a charming young girl is waiting for her sweetheart. He presently appears, attired in a miner's suit, with tools, etc., strung to the saddle. He dismounts, bids her farewell, remounts and rides away to seek his fortune. The girl waves good-bye, controls her feelings admirably until her lover is out of sight, then bursts into tears and enters the house. The fortune seeker pursues his way over the mountains, where we see him pausing occasionally and examining the rock, taking specimens wherever appearances look promising. Pursuing his way, he comes upon a miner who has fallen over a cliff and injured himself. Our young man lifts him tenderly and assists him to his cabin, puts him to bed and makes him as comfortable as possible. In conversation the young man tells of his desire to locate a claim. The other draws a rough sketch of a spot he had discovered at the time of the accident, shows samples of the ore and offers to divide the profits if his companion will take up the work. Our hero gets the prospecting tools, repairs at once to the spot, and starts to work. Results are very encouraging, and he stakes off his claim after having taken up a considerable quantity of rich ore. Returning to the cabin, our hero dumps the ore into the miner's lap, dances around the room excitedly, sits down and writes his sweetheart a letter telling of his good fortune and of his intention of returning home to claim her when a purchaser for the claim is found. While posting this letter our young prospector tells of the rich find of which he is part owner. The miners about listen excitedly. Several follow him back up the trail, among the number a prosperous looking capitalist. At the cabin all enter, look at the samples, then start for the claim. The ore is found in great abundance, tested and found to be of exceptional quality. All hands return to the cabin and the capitalist purchases the claim, paying for it in cash and bags of gold. The two partners divide the money. The young man takes his share, bids his generous partner good-bye and starts for home. Reaching the mining camp the young man enters a gambling saloon, saunters around watching the different games, ventures a little and wins. He plays for larger stakes and loses constantly until his last penny is gone. Rising from the table he realizes his position. He is penniless again and his fond hopes will not be consummated. He thereupon determines to end his existence, writes a farewell letter to his sweetheart and pins it to a tree. His strange actions have been observed by the gambler who won his stakes, and just as he is about to take his life the winner seizes our hero's hand, denounces his cowardly action, returns his money and gold and tells him to return home.