Sentinel of the valley. [volume] (Woodstock, Va) 1841-1848, 1845-04-03

|lshed to the extremity of the frontier
code. But this was not Hmch's poll
cy yet awhile. He knew the proofs
were not strong enough to make the
charge plausible, even before Lynch
! Court, Of which he himself was both
the prosecutor, judge, and executioner
His object was first to get up hue and
cry against Long, and under cover of
a general excitement, accomplish his
devlllsh purposes without question or
mock trial even. So that, after great
deal OF manGuvring, for eight or ten
days, during which time the charge
against Long was industrious'y circula-
ted by his myrmidons, so as to attract
| general attention and expectation, as to
the result of his Investigations, he pro-
claimed far and wide that he had found
the horse at last, hid in timber bottom
near Longs! This, of course, seemed
strong confirmation Of his guilt, and
tho the mob were most of them horse
thieves, to all intents, yet it was an un-
pardonable crime for any one to prac-
tice professionally among themselves !;
SO that Long was loudly denounced &
threatened on every side, and ordered
to leave the country forthwith.
These proceedings Jack by no means
comprehended, Or felt disposed to be
moved by; but gave them one and all
to understand, that he meant to remain
where he was, until it entirely suited
his convenience to go, and that if his
time and theirs did nat happen to agree
they might make the most of it. And
Jack was such anunpromising snaggish
looking somebody, and his reputation
which had now spread every where, of
possessing such consummate skill with
the rifle, that he thought it a condo
scension to shoot game any where else
but In the eyes, was so formidable, that
no individual felt disposed to push the
matter to a personal collision. He
might still, therefore, have been left in
quiet, but Hinch had unfortunately ia
ken up the impression, from Jacks
conduct at the shooting match affair,
that he must be coward, and if this
were true, then all his skill amounted
to but little; and like any other bloody
wolfsh brute, he followed him up the
more eagerly for this very reason, which
would have disarmed a generous foe
Besides, Jack had given fresh and
: weightier matter of offence, in that he
had refused to obey, and defed his au-
; thority as Regulator. The very being
: of that authority seemed to require that
q a wholesome example should be made
1 of him, for the awing of all refractory
f persons hereafter. The wretch, who
t was cunning as ferocious, and had
sworn in his inmost heart to ruin and
| disgrace Long, from the moment OF
: that triumph, now arailed himself re-
!, morselessly Of all his influence, and
, knowledge Of the society around him,
: to accomplish it, Several horses now
disappeared, and robberies of other
) kinds, perpetrated with singular dexte-
: rity, followed in quick succession. All
5 these things he managed, thro' the cla-
} mors Of his seoundrely troops, to have
7 laid, directly or indirectly, to Jack S
: door.
7 But in the popular estimation they
counted as nothing, in fixing the charge
of dangerous malice upon poor Long.
l in comparison with one, other incident
r About this time not only Hinch himself
, but every other person who had made
i himself conspicuous, by insisting upon
: Jacks guilt, and the necessity Of pun
f ishing him summarily, began to lose.
e every day or two, valuable stock, which
e was wantonly shot down sometimes in
3 sight of their houses; and it soon began
e Ito be remarked that every animal lost
e in this way, had been shot IN the eye
] This was instantly associated, of course
f with Jacks well known and curious
4 prediction for that mark in hunting,
: and perfect storm of indignation fol-
: lowed. A meeting was at once con-
+ vened at 'the store of which the plan
] ter was the chairman and at it, by a
/, unanimous vote, aresolution was pass
$ ed condemning Jack Long to be whip
| ped and driven out or the country-and
: Hinch with his Regulators appointed
, 10 carry it into effect He could hard
: " contain himself for joy; for now.
whatever extreme his pitiless maligni-
ty might choose to indulge itself in, he
: had no fear of after-claps or question.
7 ing. The meeting had been a mere form
I lat any rate. But these sformalites
are ai-pewerful every where; and I'M
settled and elementary as was the con
dition of society here, this rufian leade
! of rufiians felt the necessity of actin,
: under their sanction, tho he himself hal