The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1875-11-26


flesh was cut from his back in strips by tn
blows, ana when the leader of the ruilian
had gratified his rage, others of the ban
continued the punishment. But one ma
among the number showed any mercy, am
his assertions that Long had been punishe,
enough were received with dersion. Final,
the hunter tainted under the pain, and tn
rufians, having satisfied their grudge, de
parted, leaving the object of their spite still
bound to the tree. In this position he wa
found by his wife, who had become alarmed
for his safety, and who, searching for him
had been attracted to the spot by fain
moaning. She assisted him to reach tn,
cabin, which he did with difficulty, and ther
nursed him faithfully to recover. 1t wa
weeks before he was well enough to move
about.
Scarcely bad Long recovered from his
wounds when his cabin was found deserted
and members of the Reddett band, thinking
he had fled the country, boasted openly oi
what they had done. At the same time they
| became bolder than ever in the commission
of crime, always hunting or travelling to-
gether in n company between twenty and
thirty, and defying attack from any quarter.
One day as they were engaged on hunt, a
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 rutfiaus, riding
alone, was killed. Again the bullet was
found to have entered the left eye, but no
trace Of the slayer could be discovered. A
week or two passed, and another of the des-
peradones was shot, the same terrible ac-
curacy being exhibited in Il shot in the left
eye, proving all the shots to be from the
same source. The robbers became alarmed
and kept always together in their raids but
there was no escaping the death which SEEM
ed always 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 terrified men in vain.
On one occasion, when n member of the
band was killed. the shot had been heard,
and once Il gaunt fellow was seen running
through the woods, but pursuit failed to over
take him. Accustomed to face danger as the
desperadoes were, and possessed as they were
of brutal courage, they trembled before
this mysterious danger. 1t could not be
faced, and could not be averted
The result was that some of the band de-
serted and fled the region. There remained
only the captain and four of the more reso
lutte of his followers. These five hunted and
made their raids together for some time
without harm. Among the five was the
man who had endeavored to save Long at
the time of the whinnn~ fro'? 90" ....-l go.
torture. his man one morning ventured
out in the woods without his comrades. lie
was walking slowly along, looking for game,
when the brown barrel Of rifle projecting
from a bush beside him checked his course.
A tall, lanl; figure rose from the bush, and
the startled man recognized Sam Long, the
hunter. Long raised the rifle, then lowered
it,
"You're the man who said good word
for me, anyou may go, bad as you are. ]
won't take your miserable life. Coz
The man needed no second invitation to
go. He hurried to the camp and told the
story. The captain and the other three men
started out in pursuit Of Long, and but two
men accompanied Dick Reddett when he
| returned! The third man had fallen shot
| in the eve, and no search of the underbrush
revealed the hunter. The next day another
man was killed in camp,and again the hunt
er escaped. On the next day, the two re-
naming men fled the country, leaving the
fierce Reddett alone. The leader of the
desperadoes dare not remain where he was
He knew he was the man whOmLong sought
above all others.
Concealing himself until night, he
mounted his horse and fled for the nearest
point on the Arkansas river where it woulc
be possible to take passage on steamboat
Two days later he reached a small landing
in the woods on the bank of the river, where
the steamer stopped for passengers whel
there were any to take. He learned from
the occupant of the onl Y cabin in the neigh
borhood that the boat would be down in thu
afternoon, and so, having put up the sigma
to secure landing of the boat established
| himself on the bank and waited. lie deemed
himself safe enough from pursuit, and tooh
no precautions. Throwing himself on the
ground, he slept until late in the day, wher
he was awakened by the sound of the boa
in the distance. She would round pOin
in moment or two, and he waited expect
antly. As suddenly rs though risen from
the ground, lank figure stood before him
and the muzzlc Of riilo pccred in his face
The terrified desperate had no difficulty il
recognizing the man as the one he had in
iured With the rifle still held steadily up
on the face of the startled Reddett, Long
Kissed out:
"Iye got you! You whipped me-whip
ped me like dog! / swore I'd kill you be
fore | called myself - man again, and In
going to do i'll I've cleaned out your band
and now it's your turn! Oh, l'ye got you
Thank God, Iyc got you"
The ruilian in abject fear pleaded for hi
lie, groyclng at the feet of the hunter. IL
clung to his words as a drowning man cling
to straws. The boat was very near, Shoul,
she round the point in time he would b
saved Already the smokestacks showe
through the brush, when the hunter presse
the trigger; the sharp report rang out, an
Reddett fell dead, shot to the brain throug
the left eye, Long slipped away in tn
woods, and when the boat stopped, in It
spouse to the signal, they found a dead MAJ
but no one else, Harrison county was ri
forever of the worst gang Of ruilians in Il
southwest,
"An' that, stranger" said the old man
the Dallas hotel, sis true story of the VI
Sam Long settled accounts with the blac
, guards"
WLa Mappin,-ns nr EpnaI Man