The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1845-03-21
VOL. V.-NO. 40.

tilted up the wagon in passing over it, so
as to roll the barrel on him. He forgot
his caution, and sprang up with his head
out Of the cover TO curse the boy for his
| carelessness, and at that moment, rifle
was discharged. He fell back dead
shot through The eye! The boy said tina.
his master suddenly Gu, shor, his oaths,
and exclaimed, There he isl a, the mo-
ment the gun fired. He saw tall man
with beard hanging down on his breast
and dressed in skins. walking off through
the brush with his rifle on his shoulder.
The next man, named Garnet, about
two weeks after this, gotup one morning
about sunrise, and in his sliir, sleeves
stepped 10 his door and threw it open 10
breath the fresh air. lie was rubbing
his eyes, being about half asleep and
when he got them fairly open, there stood
the gaunl avenger beside tree in the
yard-the fatal rifle levelled, and waiting
till his victim should see him distinctly.
He did see him but il was his last look
The bullet went crashing through his
brain too Long is said TO have told one
OF his friends that he never in a single in
stance shot one Of these men till lie was
certain the man saw and recognised him
fully.
All were gone now but Ilinch and the
two youngest men Of the party, Williams
and Davis. The two latter were permit
ted 10 escape. Whether is was from re-
leniing on the part Of the dread avenger---
or that he had obsesved some trining
thing IN their demeanor on the occasion
of the outrage he was thus furnishing,
which recommended them to mercy. now
that this resentment had SO deeply drank
of the bitter delight of atonenent--o that
in his anxiety, to secure Hinch, he con-
fined his efforts and watchfulness TO him
alonc-l do not know. They made
forced and secret sale Of ,heir property,
and cleared out during the night. Blu, it
was for llinch lie had with pasionless
calculation reserved The most inconceiya-
bic torture. He had passed him by all
this time, while one after the other were
struck down, the tools and companions
of his crimes.
He doomed him 10 see them falling
around him with the certain knowledge
that the avenging hate which then burn
ed with ton-iold intensity for his life
that it must and would have IT! But
when would the claim be made Should
he be the next one No! The next
one? No! But then each succeeding
death SO sure to take one of their number,
drove away every sophistry OF hope and
realized TO him in bare and sterner horror
that his fate was as fixed as theirs. AS
each one fell away the circle Of doom
was narrowod-slowly, steadily closing
in about him. Soon there would be no
one left but him How could he call an
hour his own? When could he feel safe
That relentless sublcty had bafllcd them
all ! One, two, three, four, FIVE, six,
seven, strong men had all gone down be-
fore that fearful ri1e-eyery one shot
through the eye! God Of Heaven -
and the sharp agony would spangle keen
points Of burning light through his brain,
as if the ball were already bursting
through socket. Il too must be shot
through the oye!' Horror 1t was
worse than ten thousand deaths, and lie
died them in lingering tortures told over
day by day.
From the time Of Rees' death lie looked
a changed and stricken man. In few
weeks he had lost grea, deal Of flesh,
and became plteously haggard--his eyes
and gait and voice were all humble--his
turbulent and fierce anmally faded before
the narrowing suspense of this fear. The
bully and murderous ruflian trembled at
the rustling of a leaf-his own imagina-
ton became his hel-aud hungry re-
morse grew stronger and stronger with
ieasting at his heart! He never left his
house for weeks, until the escape Of
Williams and Davis inspired him with
some hope. He procured fine horse.
and set off one dark night for Red River
Everybody regretted his cscape--for men
had looked on in quiet expectation upon
the progress Of this affair, and in strong
faith that the sense Of wild border justice
would be graiiiied in seeing this stern.
righteous and unparalleled vengeance con-
summated by the fall of Hnch--the mon.
ster instigator and chief actor in all the
grevous outrages which had reused the
supplemented Long into demon execu-
toner OF doom.
Hinch reached the bank Of the Red
River-sprang from his ioaming aud ex-
hausted horse, after looking cautiously
around--and threw himself upon the
h.,n l..