The Hancock Jeffersonian. [volume] (Findlay, Ohio) 1857-1870, 1866-03-09

L
scourged or shot. The common pre-.
text for this was the accusation oil
having committed some crime, which
they themselves had perpetrated
against him. Their hate was en-.
tirely ruthless aud never stopped
short of accomplishing its purposes;
and in many bloody Tray aud cruel
outrage had the question of their
supremacy been mooted, until at last
there were none left 10 dispute with
them, sand they tyranizcd at will
Among these few was Jack Long,
as he was called, who neither recOg.
nized nor depied their power, and
indeed, never troubled himself about
them, one way or the other lie kept
himself to himself, hunted incessant
ly and nobody knew much about him.
Jack had come of "wild turkey
breed" as the western people term
it for rowing family, and though
still Il young man, had pushed on
ahead of the settlement of two ter.
ritorics, and had at last followed the
game towards the south, and finding
1t abundant in Shelby county had
stopped here just as he would have
stopped at the foot of the Rocky
Mountains, had IL been necessary to
pursue it thus far He had never
been in the habit of asking leave OF
any power where he should settle,
and of course scarcely thought of the
necessity of doing so, now; but qui.
city set to work-built him nice log
cabin rs far off from everybody rs he
could get. And the first thing that
was known OF him, he had his pretty
young wife and two little ones snugly
slowed away in it and he was Staying
the deer and bears right and left.
The honest brotherhood had made
iscveral attempts at feeling Jack S
pulse, and ascertaining his availa
bility; but he had always seemed so
impassively good natured, and put
them Off SO pleasantly, that they
could find no ground for either dis.
turbing or quarreling with him
What was more he was ply sicalIy n
rather rough looking customer
with six feet four inches of Drawn
and bone; though the inclination jus,
discoyerable in his figure to corpu
lency, together with Il broad, full,
good humored face, gave an air oi
sluggishness To lis energies, an oX-
preston OF easy simplicity to his
temper, which offered neither invi.
tation to grNtuitous insult nor pro.
vocation to dislike. lIewas the very
impcrsonation of inoliensivc, loyal
honesty, s.nmtering on his conscious
strcn,!th; and those men without cN
actly knowing, why, felt some littlo
disinc!matiou to wakcn him. He
had evidently never been reused - q
knowledge of himself, and others felt
just "a uncertain what that knowl
edge might bring forth as he did,
and were not specially Jealous o.!
having it tcsted NJ on their own per-
sons. SO that Jack Long might have
been left many day In quiet, even
in this formidable ncighborhood, to
cultivate his passion for marksman-
ship, ut the expense of The dumb
wild things around Him, but for an
unfortunate display he WAS accident
ally induced to make OF il.
Happening to fall short Of ammu.
milton, he went one day to the store
tor fresh supply. The cabin, to.
gethcr with the blacksmith's shop,
and one or two other huts, consti-
tuted county town. and as powder
and liquor were only TO bc obtained
there, it was the central resort OF the
Regulators. Jack found them all
collected for a shooting match, ia
preparation for which they were get
ting drunk as fast as was possible, to
steady their nerves. llinch, the reg
ulator captain, had always been the
hero of such occasions, for in addi
ton TO being iirst-rate shot, it was
known that it would he q dangerous
eXertion of skill for any man to beat
him--for he was furious and vim.
dictive bully, and would not fail to-
make personal affair Of it with any
one who would mortily his vanity 10y
carrying oil the prize from him, In
addition, the band of scoundrcls he
commanded was entirely at his ser
vice in any extreme, so that they
made fearful odds for single man
to contend with.
Everybody else in the country was
aware Of t,Iis state Of things but Jack
Long, and he either didn't know JrI
didn't care. After they had fired
several rounds, he went loungingI
listlcssly into the crowd which had
gathered around the target, cxclaim
ing in admiration over the last hril,
liant shot of EIinch, which was tri
umphantly the best. The bully was,
as usual, clustering vchemontly
taunting every one and when he saw
Jack looking very coolly Mt the ia
nous shot, with no grin of that re
verential admiration in his express
ion which was demanded, he snatch
Ell up the board and thrusting it in
sultingly close to his face, roarcd
out
Here, you Jack Long-shanks-
look at that! Take a good look!
Can you beat itf' Jack drew back
with quiet laugh and said good
humorcdly--.
'Phsh! you don't brog on such
shootin' as that do you =
'Brag on It. I'll like TO see such a
mooncycd chap as yon beat it!'