The Grange advance. [volume] (Red Wing, Minn.) 1873-1877, 1876-06-28

AAsS>A NOAA0' AV VAAC S1lIlo U1l4l0s U4Cy' U0"
came holder than ever in the com.
mission of crime, always hunting or
travelling together in a company of be.
tween twenty and.thirty, and defying
attack from any quarter. One day, as
they were engaged on hunt, amen
Der OF the band separated fromsthe
rest in the excitement Of the chase.
He was found lying dead. shot in the
left eye. A few days later, one ofsthe
ruttians. riding alone, was shot. Again
the bullet was found to- have entered
the left eye, but no trace Ofgthe slayer
could be discovered. Ia week or two
passed, and another of the desperadoes
was shot, the same terrible accuracy
being exhibited in 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 seemed always to be lurking
near them. One after another fell,
until ten men died, each one pierced
in the eye. The woods were secured
in vain by the terrified men. On one
occasion, when a member of the band
was killed, the shot had been heard,
and once tall quaint figure was seen
running through the woods, but pur-
suit failed to- overtake "llim.; s""n 4Accus-s
toned to face danger as the Qespera-.
does were, and possessed as, they were
of a brutal courage, they trembled be-
fore this mysterious danger. 1t could
not be faced, and it could not be avert
ed. The result was that some of the
gang deserted and fled the region.
There remained only the captain and
four of the more, res0lute Of ;his~fol-
lowers. II These five hunted and made
their raids always together, and for
some time escaped harm. 1t CHANGED
that among the five was the man who
had endeavored to save Long at the
time of the whipping from so severe
a torture. This man, one morning
ventured out in the woods without
his comrades. He was walking slow:
ly along, looking for game, when the
brown barrel Of rifle projecting
from bush beside him checked his
course. A tall, lank figure rose from
the bush, and the startled man recog-
niZed Sam Long, the hunter. Long
raised his rifle, and then lowered it
again.
''You're the man who said "a good
word for me, an you may go, bad as
you are. won't take your miserable
life. Go!'' .G'l
The man needed no second invita-
ton to go. He hurried to the camp
and told his story. The. captain and
the other three men started out in pur-
suit of Long, and but two men accom-
panied Dick Reddett when he returned!
the third man had fallen, shot in the
eye, and no search Of the sunde thrush;
revealed the hunter. The, next day
another man was killed in camp, and
again the hunter escaped" On the
next day the two remaining men fed
the country, leaving the fierce Reddett
alone. The leader Of the desperadoes
dared not remain where he was. He
knew he was the man above all others
that Long sought to kill.
Concealing himself until night, he
mounted his horse and fed for the
nearest point on the Arkansas River
where it would be possible to take pas.
sage on a steamboat. Two days later
he reached small landing in the
woods on the banks of the river,
where the steamer stopped for passen-
gers, when there were any to take.
He learned from the occupant of the
only cabin in the neighborhood that
the boat would be down in the after
noon. and so, having put up the signal
to secure a landing of the boat, estab-
lished himself on the bank and waited.
He deemed himself safe enough from
pursuit, and took no precautions.
Throwing himself on the ground, he
slept until, late in the day, he was
awakened by the sound of the boat in
the distance. She would round a
point in moment or two, and he
waited expectantly. AS suddenly as
though risen from the ground, lank
figure stood before him, and the muz.
Zle Of a rife peered in his face. The
terrified desperate had no difficulty in
recognizing the man as the one he had
injured. With the rifle still held
steadily upon the face of the startled
Reddett, Long Kissed: , -, -
v''I'ye got you! You whipped me !!
Whipped me like niger, like dog
l swore I'd kill you before I'd call my
self man again, and I'm goin' to do
it! I've cleaned out your band. and
now it's your turn! Oh, I've got you !!
Thank God, I've got your =
The ruffian in AFFECT fear pleaded
for his life, groveling at the feet of
the hunter. He chung to his words as
a drowning man; clings to straws. The
boat was very near. Should she
round the point in time he would be
saved Already her smoke-stacks
showed through the brush.sW the
hunter pressed the trigger, tie sharp
report rang out, and Reddett fell dead,