Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1845-08-07
MONTPELIER, THURSDAY, AUGUST 7, 1916


suit aud challenge, while IIinch laughed taunting-
ly long and loud -jeering him with exulling bitter
ness as long as he could make himself heard as u
6 flash in the pam Ia dungh cock, who had
spread his white feather while the men who had
been surprised into profound respect for Long
and were still more astonished at what they consd-
cred his backing out joined GENEROUSLY in boot
ing his retreat.
The fools! They made fatal mistake, in sup
posing he left the insult unresented from any fear
for himself Jack Long had young and pretty
wife ct home and his love for her was stronger than
his resentment for his own indignty His passions
were slow, and had never been fully rouscd-none
OF them at least but his love, and that presented
her instantly, lorlorn and deserted, with her little
ones, IN tins wild country, should he throw away
his life with such desperate odds and seeing the
turn the afflr was likely to take he had prudenty
determined to get away before it had gone TOO far
But had any Of these men seen the spasms of ago
ny which shvered across his massive features, as
these gliding voices rang upon his ears in insult
which no proud free hunter might endure, they
would have taken the hint to beware of chatting the
silently foaming boar any longer.
This was an ill-s,arred day for Jack, though y
from this time troubles began to thicken about him.
The even tenor Of his simple, happy lite was de-
stroyed, and indignity and outrage followed each
other fast. Huch never forgdve the unluciy skill
thai had robbed 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 pow
crlul planter, disappeared. lie was one of those
men who had compromised with the Regulators,
paying SO much black mail to be exempted from
their depredatlons, and protected against others of
the same stamp; and he applied to Hinch, for
the recovery of his horse and the punishment of
the thief. This, Hinch, under their contract
bound to do, and promised to accomplish forthwith.
He and some of his men went off on the trail of his
missing horse, and returned next day announcing
that they hadfolowed it with all their skill through
q great many windings, evidently intended to throw
off pursuit, and had at last tracked it to Jack Longs
picket fence and there could be no doubt but he
was the thief! The planter knew nothing of Jack
! but that he was new conner, and demanded that
he should be forced to give up the horse, and pun
shed to the extremity of the frontier code. But
/ this was not Hinch's policy yet awhile. He knew
| the proofs not strong enough to make the
! charge plausible, even before a Lynch Court, of
| which he himself was both prosecutor, judge and
eXecutioneT. His object first to get up a hue
and cry against Long, and under cover of general
excitement, accomplish its dcvilish purpose without
question or mock trial even. So that after great
deal of manGuverng, for eight or ten days, during
which time the charge against Long ndustri-
ously circulated by his myrmidons, to attract
| general attention and expectation to the result
of his investigations--he proclaimed far and wide,
that he had found the horse OF last hid in a timber
bottom near Longs This, of course seemed strong
confirmation of his guilt, and though the mob were
most Of them horse-thieves to all intents and pur-
! poses, yet it was an unpardonabe crime for any
one to act professionally among themselves; so
that Jack Long was loudly denounced, and threat
ened on every side, and ordered to leave the
ty forthwith.
The proceedings Jack by no means comprehen-
died. or felt disposed to be moved by but gave them
and an to understand, that he meant to remain
where he was, until it entirely suited his conven-
fence to go; and if his time and theirs did not
happen to agree, they might make the most of it.
And Jack was such an unprotu,inS looking
body, and his reputation which had now spread ev-
erywhere of possessing such consummate skill
with the rifle that he thought it condescension to
shoot game anywhere else but in the eyeswas so
formidable, that no individual felt disposed to push
the matter 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 if this were true, then all his skill
amounted to but little: and like any other bloody
woofsh brute he followed him the more eagerly
for this very reason, which would have disarmed
q generous foe. Besides, Jack had given fresh ant
weightier matter of offence, in that he had refused
S to obey, and deied his authority as Regulator
The very being of that authority seemed to require
j now that wholesome example should be made o
d him. for the awng Of all refractory persons hereaf
=
/, and had sworn in his inmost heart to dsgrac
5, Long, from the moment of that triumph, no,
: avaed himself remorselessy of all his mtluenc
Z and knowledge of the society around him to accom-
If plish it. Several horses now disappeared, an
a robberles of other FINDS, perpetated with sngula
ID deXterity, followed in quick succession. All thes
ID things he managed, through the clamors OF hi
scoundrelly troops, to have laid, directly ndirec
t! ", to Jacks door.
W But in the popular estimation they counted
- nothing in fixing the charge of dangerous malic
1t, upon poor Long, III comparison with one other II
cident About this time not only llinch hmsel
ed but every other person who had made himself col
spicuous, by insisting upon Jacks guilt, and Il
Oh necessity of Furnishing him summarily, began
lose every day or two, valuable stock, which WI
Nv wantonly shot down sometimes in sight of the
1t houses; and il soon began to be remarked that
1t, cry animal lost in this way, had been shot in Il
on eye! This was instantly associated, of cour
with Jacks well known prediction for that ma
as IN hunting, and perfect storm of Indignation tt
ur lowed. meeting was at once convened at I'll
~ store of which the planter the chairman al
at 1t, by an unanimous vote, IA resolution pas
he ed condemning Jack Long to be whipped and DIR
apt en- out OF the country, and Hinch with his Regul
set tors appointed to carry it into effect He cou
nd, hardly contain himeof for Joy; for now whutey
his extreme his pitess malignity might choose to
It's duge itself in, he had no fear of afterclaps
rk, questioning. The meeting had been a mere fol
ing any rate But these ormalities' are all-pow,
It's ful everywhere; and unsettled and elementary
ca was the condition of society here, this ruan lea
ich err of ruifians felt the necessity of acting und
the their sanction, though he himself had dictated it
lie would and could have censummated his pl
mt poses without it; but the faint life of conscen
lie, within hmby species of logic peculiar to its
up. felt relieved of the grievous responsibility
hat such crime, in the sense of partic pating with
many others Many man has gone to the de
INST in crowd, who would have been Mortified at 1
llle dertaking the journey alone.
lar 1t was the third day after this meeting. Ia,
ore during all these prosecutions had deported hi
nth self with the most stolid in Inference" Avoid
lew all intercourse with settlers. he had continued
re hunt with even more assiduity than usual and "
The IN great measure ignorant of the unenvable
ck fnrinir hn ,rne n,,inuinn IIn hnA Lnn..I l..