Burlington free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1827-1865, 1845-07-11

cd that he had driven the centre cross clear
out, he turned upon his heel, and with plea
SAINT nod 10 Ilincl, started to walk off, The
ruf1ian shouted hoarscly after him
! thought you were id coward
You've made two good shots by accident,
and now you sneak to brag that yon have
beat me. Come back, sir! You can't shoe,
before muzzled half as true =
Jack walked on without noticing this NOR.
tai insult and challenge, while IIincl laugh
ed tauntingly long and l9ud-jeerng him
with exulting bitterness, as long as he could
make himself heard, as a fash in the pan,
- dnnghll coca, =, nc had spread his white
feather while the men, who had been sur
priscd into profound respect for Long, and
were still more astonished at what they con-
sidered his backing OUT joined clamorous-
y in looting his retreat.
The fools They made fatal mistake, in
supposing he left the insult unresen,ed from
any fear for himself. Jack Long had young
and pretty wife at home, and his love for
her was stronger than his resentment for his
own lndignity. His passions were slow, and
had never been fully roused-none of them
at least but his love, and that presented her
instantly, forlorn and deserted, with her little
ones, IN this wild country, should he throw
away his life with sucl, desperate odds and
seeing the turn the affair was likely to take,
he had prudently determined to get away
before it had gone too far. But had any of
these men seen the spasms of agony which
shivered across his massive features, as these
gHing voices rang upon his ears in insult
which no proud free hunter might endure,
they would have taknS the bpt to beware of
chatting the SILENT, foaming boar any longer.
This was an illstarrcd day for Jack, tho;
from this time troubles began to thcken
about him. The even tenor of his simple,
happy life was destroyed, and indigntv and
outrage followed each other fast. Hnch
never forgive the unlucky skill that had rob-
bed him Of his proudest boast, that of being
the best marksman on the frontier; and he
swore in base vindictive hate, to dog him to
the death, or make him leave the country
Soon after this valuable horse belonging to
rich and powerful planter, Disappeared
lie was one OF those men who had comprom-
ised with the Regulators, paying so much
black mail to be exempted from their dcpre-
dalions, and protected agains, others of the
same stamp; and he now applied to Hnch.
Tor the recovery OF his horse and the punish
ment of the thief. This, Hnch, under their
contract was bound 10 do, and promised 10
accomplish forthwith. lie and some of his
men went off on the trail Of his missing horse,
and returning next day announced that they
HAD folowedil With a. tneir skill through a
great many windings, evidently intended to
throw off pursuit, and had at last tracked il
to Jack Longs picket fence, and there could
be no doubt but he was the thief! The plans
ter knew nothing of Jack. but that he was
new conner, and demanded that he should be
forced to give up the horse, and punished to
the extremity of the frontier code. But this
was not Hinch's policy yet awhile. He knew
the proofs were not strong enough to make
the charge plausible, even before a Lynch
Court, of which he himself was both prose.
cuior, judge and execuloner. His object
was first to get up hue and cry against
Long, and under cover Of general excitement,
accomplish its devish purpose without qnes-
ton or mock trial even. So that, after a
great deal of manGuvering, for eight or ten
days, during which time the charge against
Long was indus,rionsy circulated by his
myrmldons, so as to attract general atten-
ton and expectation as TO the result of his
nvestigatIons he proclaimed far and wide,
that he had found the hosse a, last, hid in "A
timber bottom near Longs. This, of course
seemed strong confirmation of his gnllt and
though the mob were most of them horse
thieves, 10 all intents, yet it was an unpar-
donable crime for any one to act profession
ally among themselves ; so that Jack Long
was loudly denounced, and threatened on ev-
cry side, and ordered to leave the county
forthwith.
The proceedings Jack by no means COM
pretended, 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 not happen to
agree, they might make the most of it. And
JAG k was such an unpromsing looking some-
body, and his reputation which had now
spread everywhere-Of possessing such con :
summate skill with the rlle,t he though il
condescension TO shoot game any where
else but in the eyes-was so formidable, that
TO individual felt disposed 10 push the mat
ter TO personal collision. He might still
therefore, have been left in quiet, but Hinch
had unfortunately taken up the impression,
from Jacks conduct in the shooting match
affair, that he must be coward, and il this
were true. then all his skill amounted to but
little; and like any other bloody wol6ish
brute, he followed him the more eagerly for
this very reason, which would have disarm-
ed a generous foe. Besides, Jack had given
fresh and weighiier matter of offence, in that
he had refused to obey, and deGed his author
ty as Regulator. The very being of that
authority seemed to require now that whole
some example should be made of him, for the
awing of all refractory persons hereafter
The wretch, who was as cunning as fero-
cious, and had sworn in his inmost heart to
disgrace Long, from the moment of that tri-
umpl, now availed himself remorselessly of
all his influence and knowledge of the society
around him to accomplish it. Several hor-
SEES now disappeared, and robberies of other
kinds. perpetrated with singular dexterity,
followed in quick succession. All these
things he managed, through the clamors of his
scoundrelly troops, to have laid, directly or
indirectly, to Jacks door.
Blu, in the popular estimation they counted
as nothing, in fixing the charge of dangerous
malice upon poor Long, in comparison with
one other incident. About this time not on.
ly Ilinch himself, but every other person
who had made himself conspicuous. by in
sisling upon Jacks guilt, aud the necessity of