The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1845-03-21

BILE foe, but that ghostly story Of Ilenry's,
and the tracks which only served TO tan
talize them! 1t must be some dread SUI
pernatural visitation of their hideous
crimes They shivered, while the great
drops started from their foreheads, and
without thinking Of looking for any trail,
or even gathering up the bones, they
started back at full speed, spreading the
alarm every where. The excitement now
became universal and tremendous. Near
ly the whole country turned out for the
purpose of unraveling this alarming mys-
terry and the supersiiious frenzy was in
no small degree heightened by the re-
port, that this man had been shot in the
same way as the otheis--in the back Of
| the lead
These incidents were all so unaccount-
able--that own felt no little sympa-
Thy with the popular association of SUI
pernatural agency in their perpetraiion.
Henry laughed at all this, bu: insisted that
IT was a maniac; and to account for the
peculiar deXteriiy of his escape and whole
management, related many anecdotes Of
the proverbial cunning Ct madmon. The
widest, most absurd and incredible sto~
rles were now ahoat among the people
concerning this deadly and subtle foe Of
| the Regulators for it was now univer-
sally believed and remarked, that it was
| against them alone that his enmly was
directed. The story Of Henry was great
| ly improved upon and added to; and as
some reports had it, the Madman-as
others, the Bearded Ghost, was seen a
half dozen places at the same time
now on foot, stalking with enormous
strides across some open glade from thick
ct 10 thicket-passing on, Of sight again
before the observer could recover from
his surprise; then mounted, he wass seen
flying like the shadow Of u summer cloud
over the rrair!es. or beneath the gloom Of
forests. always haggard and lean, dressed
in skins with the hair on, and that long,
heavy, terrible rifle on his shoulder! |
noticed that there was only one class of
men who ventured to assert that they had
actually seen with their own eyes these
wonderful sights, and that was construc-
ted of those who either had suffered, or
from their character and pursuits, were
most likely to suffer persecution from the
Regulators--thcc class Of hunter emigrants.
These men were most, Industrious IN en-
belishing all the circumstances of char
acter, fea,s and relentless hatred to the
Regulators, as highly as the excited ere
dulity of the people would bear. They
never saw him except in the vicinity of
the homes Of some one Of these hated ,y
rants In their persons this being was
forever lowering around them, waiting
the moment to strike while they were
alone and far from any help.
They carried this thing so far as to at |
tract attention TO il, and arouse in the
cunning mind of llinch the same susp !
cion which had occurred 10 Henry and
myself, namely, that all this was the re-
suit of y proioundiy nouto and thoroughly |
organized scheme of this class--headed !
by some man Of peculiar personalities
and consumae skill, with the object Of
ex,erminating or driving Off the kegula
tors. Ii seemed impossible, that, without
collision with many others, the murderer
should have been able to battle to all pur-I
suit. lIinch and his band had been
thoroughly cowed and awed but the mo-
ment this idea occurred TO them, the re-
action of their base fears was savage ex-
ultalon. Here was something tangible
their open and united force could easily
exterminate an enemy who had acknowl-
edged their weakness in resorling to Sc
cret combination an assassination from
the bush = They forthwith proclaimed
war to the knife with the whole class
and during the next week several ou,ra-
ges, so revolving that | will not detail
them, were perpeuated upon these men
in different parts Of the country and the
fact that, during this general tumult moth
ing more was seen or heard of the mystic
rious RiNeman, encouraged them with the
belief that they had succeeded in getting
rid of him through the intimidation of his
confedeIdtes.
They had now been for nearly fort
night in the saddle-had glutled them
selves with vengeance, and, as they con-
ceived, broken down this dangerous con-
spracy against their power; and if they
had not succeeded in detecting and punish
ing, had at least frightened of their sim
gular foe. They now concluded they
might safely disband That day, after
they separated, one Of their number ma
med Rees--amost as bad and savage
u n,n., M IIinnh LII alc Linz ..anL :.