The weekly Portage sentinel. [volume] (Ravenna, Ohio) 1854-1861, 1855-06-30

was the condition of society here, this ruff.
fan leader of ruffisns felt the necessity OF
acting unner their sanction, though he him
self had dictated it. He would and could
have consumated his purpose without it; but
the faint life of conscience within him by q
species of logic peculiar to itself-felt reliev.
ed of the grievous responsibility of such q
crime in the sense OF participating with 50
many others. Many a man has gone to the
devil in a crowd, who would have been hor-
rifed at undertaking the journey alone.
1t was the third day after this meeting
during all these prosecutions, Jack had depor.
ted himself with the most stolid indifference
Avoicing all intercourse with the settlers,
he had continued to hunt with even more as
siduty than usual, and was in great meas
ure ignorant of the unenviable notoriety he
was enjoying. He had heard something OF
the charge with which his character had
been assaiIed, but attributed them all to the
jealous enmity he had incurred at the shoot
ing match. He could understand perfectly
how one man could hate another who had
beat him in shooting, and thought it natural
enough; but he could not understand how
that hatred might be meanly and desperate
y vindictive, and therefore gave himself no
uneasiness about it. He was only anxious
that his wife should not hear and be annoyed
by any of these things, and preserved his
usual cheerfulness of demeanor.
He had just returned from hunting, and
laying aside his accoutrements, partook of
the simple meal her neat housewifery had
prepared for him; then stretching himself
upon the buffalo robe on the floor, romped
with his two rosy checked boys, who roll
ed over his great body, and gamboled and
screamed in riotous joy around him; but
mother wanted some water from the branch,
and the frolic must be given over while
Jack would 60 and bring it. So jumping
up he left the little folks pouting wilfUlly
as they looked after him from the door, and
started. The stream was only about hun
dred yards from the house, and the path
leading to it was through dense high
/ thicket 1t was against Jacks religion ev-
er to leave his house without his gun; but
the wife, whom he loved above all the uni.
verse Of sentiment and everything else, was
in hurry for the water, and the distance
was so short,-so he sprang gaily out with
the vessel in his hand, leaving the rifle be-
hind. The water had been dipped up, and
he was returning along the narrow path
closely bordered by brush, when he felt q
light tap on each shoulder, and his career
strangely impeded. He had just time to
perceive that lasso had been thrown over
him, which would confne his arms, when
he saw himself suddenly surrounded, and
was rushed upon by number of men. He
instantly recognized the voice of Hinch
shouting, "Down with him! Drag hin
down." and the men who had hold of the
lasso about his body jerked at him violent
ly in the effort to throw him. All his tre'
mendous strength was put forth in one con-
elusive effort, which would have freeeC
him, but that the internal moose had fallen
true, and bound his arms. AS it was, he
dragged the six stout men who held it after
his frantic bounds nearly to his own door
before he was prostrated, and then it was
by heavy blow dealt him over the heat
with the butt Of a gun. The last objects
which met his eyes as he sank down, were
the Mortified faces of his two children ant
wife looking out upon him!
The blow deprived him of his senses fol-
short time, and when he recovered hi
found himself half stripped, and lashed tt
a tree a short distance from his house,
Hihch in front Of him, with knotted rope
in his hand, his wife on the ground, wall
ing and clinging with pteous entreaty
round the monsters knees, his children
weeping BY her, and outside this group ,
circle Of men with guns IN their hands,
That fearful awful awakening was new
birth to Jack Long! His eye took in eve
rything at one glance. A shudder, Iik'
that of an oak rifting to its core, sprans
along his nerve, and seemed to pass GU
at his feet and through his fingers, leavin,
him as rigid as marble; and when the blow
of the hideous mocking devil before hin
I fell upon his white flesh, making it welt Ii
purple ridges, or spout dull black currents
he felt them no more than the dead linte
5 of his door would have done; and the ago
ny of that poor wife shrilling frantic ech
to every harsh slashing sound, seemed t
have no more effect upon his ear than
had on the tree above them, which shoe
its green leaves to the self same cadenc
they had held yesterday in the breezes.-
His wide open eyes were glancing calml
and scrutinizingly into the faces Of tn
men who stood nd-those features al
:, never to be forgotten!-for while Hinc
9 lays on the stripes with all his furiou
\ strength, disappearing as they fall, th'
glance dwells OH each face with a COLI
i. keen, searching intensity, as if it marke
them to be remembered in hell! The man
+ air was awful--so concentrated-so still
!. so enduring! He never spoke, or groanet
. or writhed---but those intehse eyes Of his!-
: the wretches coaldn't stand them, and b
!. gan to shuttle and get behind each other.-