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

| IL ny lUH. 1ney all ran
eagerly to the target, and sure enough
his ball, which was larger than Hlnch's,
had passed through the same hole, wi
! dening it
Hes a humbug It's all accident /!
He can't do that again!' shouted the
rufhan, turning pale, till his lips looked
blue, as the board was held np. I'll
bet the ears ola buffalo calf against his,
that he can't do it againp
'Hyou mean bythat, to bet your own
ears against mine, Pll take you upl'
said Jack laughing, while the men
could not resist joining him. Hinch
glared around him with fierce chafed
look, before which those who knew him
best qualed, and with compressed lips
silently loaded his gun. A new target
was put up, at which, after long and
careful aim, lie fired. The shot was a
fine one. The edge of the bali had
just broke the centre. Jack, after loo
king at it, quietly remarked
plumbing out the centre is my fash
ion; I'll show kink or two, Captain
Hinch, about the clear thing in shoot
IN. Give US another board there, boys!'
Another was set up, and after throw
out his gun on the level, in the same ra-
pid careless style as before, he fired !;
and when the eager crowd around the
target announced that he had driven
the centre cross clear out, he turned on
his heel, and with a pleasant nod to
Hinch, started to walk off. The ruff
an shouted hoarsely after him:
| 4 thought you were id coward!
You've made two good shots by acct
dent, and now you sneap off to brag
that you've beat me. Come back, sir!
You can't shoot before muzzle half as
! true!'
! Jack walked on without noticing this
mortal insult and challenge, while the
bully laughed tauntingly long and LOUD
,,-jeering him with exulting bitterness:
as long as he could make himself heard.
I, as "a flash in the pan'-'a dunghill
cock, who had spread his white feather,
! while the men who had been surprised
into profound respect for Long, anl
Were. now still more astonished al
what they considered his backing out,
joined clamorously in hooting his re.
treat.
The fools They made fatal mis-
take, in supposing he left the insult I'm.
.! resented from any fear for himself
Jack Long had a young and pretty wife
at home, and his love for her was stron-
ger than his resentment for his own in
dignity. His passions were slow, and
had never been fully roused-none O
them at least but this love, and tha
presented her instantly, forlorn and de.
serted, with her little ones, in this vile
country, should he throw away his lift
with such desperate odds; and seeing
the turn the affair was likely to take
he had prudently determined to get a.
way before it had gone too far. Blu
had any Of those men seen the spasms
!, of agony which shivered across his mas
sive features, as these gibing voice:
rang upon his ears in insult which nc
proud free hunter might endure, the,
f would have taken the hint, to beware
of chatting the silently foaming boar any
!. longer.
This was an ill-starred day for Jack
though; from this time troubles begar
to thicker about him. The even teno
of his simple happy life was destroyed
/ and indignity and outragefollowed eacl
other fast. Hinch never forgave thu
unlucky skill that had robbed him o
/ his proudest boast, that of being thu
best marksman on the frontier; and h'
swore, in base vindictive hate, to dog
him to death, or make him leave th'
country. Soon after this, a VALUABLE
horse belonging to rich and powerful
planter, disappeared. He was one o
those men who had compromised will
the Regulators, paying so much black
mail for exemption from their depreda
tons, and protection against others O
the same stamp; and he now applied
to Hinch for the recovery of his horse
and the punishment ofthe Thief. Thi
Hinch, under their contract, was bount
to do, and to accomplish forthwith
He and some of his men went off OF
the trail of the missing horse, and retur
ming next day, announced that the,
!, had followed it with all their skill thro
! a great many windings, evidently in
tended to throw off pursuit, and had a
last traced it to Jack Longs pickle
!, fence, and there could be no doubt Blu
, he was the thief! The planter knew
| nothing of Jack, but that he was anev
conner, and demanded that be shonlt
be forced to give up the horse, and pun