Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1855-02-21
sisted in remaining they were fred upon as
;f thew had been wild beasts.

If they had been Wlld Oeas'o'
In Short, they showed themselves SO un'
n,tv,po and so vindictve in their Persecu-
lions against whoever dared oppose 'hem'
that very soon their authority met WIN
scarcely any rebels IN the county,
OF this small number was JACK Long
one of the last representatives oil that class
of rowing hunters OF which we have spoken.
Jack had sprung from race OF a0'lo inr-
keys--an expression made use OF IN Tue
West to designate rowing family. lie had
already traversed two States and terrific
rv; and continuing to pursue game 10 tue
south, he permitted himself to be seduceu
by the prospect of successful hunting IN
Shelby, where he stopped.
He would have pushed his way on 10 the
Rocky Mountains, if necessity had wliied
it.
He had never asked permission of any
Government to establish himself either here
or there he never made himself uneasy a.
bout his neighbours; and he had never E.
ven dreamed of informing himself to what
nation the territory belonged. which was a
greeable to him. The new and fertile land.
with the vaulted sky the streams OF pure
water and fresh breezes of air, its vast VIZ
Gin forests and immense plains spread a
broad to the sun, with the living beings, the
wild sounds, and grand scenes there dis
PLAYED to the eye Of God: these were his
heritage of what importance to him was
the authority of man.
The first thing we hear of Jack is that he
had constructed small log cabin for HIM
self. upon the limits of the county near the
bank of rivulet; and had there installed
his young and pretty wifs with his two Int
tie children, and that he was actively busy
in killing, right and left the bears and deer
of the neighborhood.
As he did not seek the acquaintance OF
any, he remained there a long time with
out scarcely any one paying any attention
to hum.
His passion for hunting was so great that
from morning till evening he kept up h'S
pursuit of game; and it was so abundant
that he had what largely satisfied his desire
for it. He seemed to have no other pleas
ures save in his isolated cabin, which, rude
as it was, contained what filled his great
heart and vivi6ed the thick blood Of his
heavy and awkward body.
Sometimes one of the Regulators would
meet him alone, and armed with his long
carbine, among the wooded islets which
enameled the plain, or in the depths of some
of the vast forests; and he was always so
successful in the chase that he finally ac-
quired tn reputation of being fine marks
man. Then attention was rather more d.
rected TO his unsocal and solitary habits.
Curiosity impelled the Regulators to watch
him; and when they saw he was so devo-
ted to his wife, the rumour became general
that he was under pehicoat government, with
other banterlngs that were equally agreea-
Bile. That, added to his trailing. awkward
walk and perhaps his appearance of exces-
sive simplicity, together with his doclle
character, induced these rude, coarse men
to regard him as an inoffensive being whom
they might insult with lmPunity.
They even directed some sharp thrusts
at him; but then, Jack appeared so tormi-
dable an adversary in bodily struggle that
no one of them felt disposed to push the
matter to such a crisis as ttat. 1t would
have furnished him an opportunity to dis.
plav the strength which his tall figure and
large limbs clearly indicated he possessed.
Jack was about six feet four inches IN
hei rht, with shoulders that seemed like the
buttresses of tower, and his head was
small but the rest of his body was well pro-
portIoned Without a slight tendency to-
Corpulency, aud the heaviness OF manner
we have mentioned, which made him ap'
pear too indolent to undertake the exploit
he seemed the man to seize buffalo oy
the horns aud hurl his hairy mass into the
midst of his believing companions.
Finding they could not draw him into
quarrel, they changed tactics and endea-
yored by all sorts of batteries to enlist in
the service of their plans OF violence the
physical strength and skill which they sup
posed he possessed. But Jack repulsed
every species of participation in their cru
elites, always with smiling good humor,
which, while it exasperatad the robbers,
gave them no cause of plovocation. New
ertheless the absence of a pretext would
have mattered little if that athletic person
age with his long gun had worn boIder
countenance but as they had vague idea
that Jack did not yet possess conscious
ness of his strength and power, they felt
themselves little disposed to awaken that
consciousness in him.
They then gave him over, and Jack,
without doubt, would have continued toI
live peaceably in his love for Molie and
his children, and in the exercise OF his skill
in cunning at the expense only, Of the wild
aud dumb creatures around him, 1t he had
not been led to give public proof of that
skill
Sume log cabins in the centre of the coun-
tv constituted the county town. There was
to be found the groceries, the only depot
for number of miles round, where pow
der, lead and whiskey could be procured.
Now Jack having exhausted his ammuni-
ton came to this place to obtain new sup
ply. Attrac ed by the whiskey, the Regu-
lators had established there, their general
quarters they were assembled on tins day
for a grand shooting and IN good
train for gettiug drunk IN order to strength
en- their nerves.
When Jack arrived he found them col
lected under cluster of trees several hun
dred yards Off Some time had elapsed
since any alteration had arisen between
them and him; and though he supposed all
was forgotten. he experienced certain a
version for their society and had resolved
to avoid them. But the roaring explosions
that he so much loved to hear. reached his
ears, with the shouts and EXPLANATIONS OF
the men grouped around the mark to ascer-
tain the result Of each shot-hiS passion for
this diversion and curiosity to know the
skill OF others overcame vague feeling
that he was about to commit some imprC-