Bradford opinion. [volume] (Bradford, Vt.) 1874-1881, 1875-11-06

WI UuO SpVVs uO suNA""'Vs uns NY ~
the hunter that he would yet " ge
even with him." Long paid littl'
attention to the threat, and soOI
aiterwar,l returned to his cabin.
AT just dusk, some days later
Sam Long having come in from {
long hunt, was lying on the floor q
his cabin aud playing with the chic
while his wife was getting supper
The wife, busy with her cooking,
asked Long to 60 to an adjacent
spring and bring some water, . re-.
quest which he promptly complied
with, leaving his gun IN the honse,
q somewhat unusual course with
him. He had reached the spring
and was just STOPPING to Oil the
pail he carried, when he Was borne
down dy an attack from behind,
bound securely and dragged some
yards into the woods. When he
recognized his assailants he knew
what to expect. He had fallen into
the hands Of the keddett gang, and
the leader was about to" get even"
Long wYs stripped and bound to a
tree by order Of the captain. A sup
ply of hickory switches was obtain
I'd. aud then tho captain took one
of them up and began the whip
ping, announcing, with an oath,
that no men could beat him or his
men at shooting and stay in the
country. The suferings of the vic.
tim were terrible. The flesh was
cut from his back in strips by the
blows, anl when the leader of the
ruffians had gratified his rage,
others of tue hand continued the
punishment. Bur one man among
the number .howel any mercy and
his assertions that Long had been
punished enough yere received
with derision. Finally the hunter
tainted under the pain, and the ruff
fans, having satisfied their Srudge,
departed, leaving the object Of their
spite still bound TO the tree. In this
position he was found by his wife,
who had become elarmed for his
safety and who, searching for him,
had been attracted to the spot by ,
faint moaning. She ass istad him t"
reach the cabin, which he did 9th
difficulty, and then nursed him
faithfully to recovery. 1t was weeks
before he was well enough to move
about.
Scarcely had Long recovered from
his wounds when his cabin was
found deserted. and members of the
Reddett band, thinking that he bad
fled the country, boasted openly OF
what they had done. At the same
time, they became bolder than ever
in the commission of crime, always
hunting or travelling together IL
of between twenty and
thirty, and defying attack from any
quarter. Ono day, as they were en-
gagged on hunt, . member Of the
band became separated from the
rest in the excitement Of the chase.
He was found, lying dead. shot IN
the left eye. A few days later. one
of the ruffians, ri ding alone, vas
killed. Again the bullet was found
to have entered the left eye, but no
trace of the slayer could be discov-
cred. A week or two passed, and
another of the desperadOes was shot,
the same terrible accuracy being
exhibited in d shot in the left eye,
proving all the shots to he from the
same source. The robbers BECAME
alarmed and kept always together
in their raids, but there was no es'
Gaping the death which seemed al
WAYS to be lurking near them. One
after another fell, until ten men had
died, each one pierced in the eye.
The woods were secured by the ter
rified men in vain. On one occasion,
when a member of the band was
killed, the shot had been heard, and
once a gaunt figure was seen run
ming through the woods. but pur-
suit failed to overtake him. &C
customed to face danger as the des-
peradoes were, and possessed as
they were of brutal courage, they
trembled before this mysterious dan
ger. 1t could not be faced, and 1t
conld not be averied.
The result was that some of the
band deserted and fed the region.
There remained only the captain |
and four of the more resOlute Of his
followers. These five hunted and