Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1881-11-03

were now still more astonished at what they
considered his "backing out" Joined clamor
ously in hooting his retreat.
The fools! They made fatal mistake, il
supposing he left the insult unresented from
any fear for himself. Jack Long had {
young and pretty wife at home, and his love
for her was stronger than his resentment fol
his own dignity. His passions were slow
and had never Leen fully aroused-none o.
them at least but his love, and that presented
her instantly, forlorn and deserted, with hel
little ones, in this wild country should he
throw away his life with such desperate odds
and seeing the turn the affair was likely tt
take, he had prudently determined to gel
away before it had gone too far. But had
any of those men seen the spasm of agony
which shivered across his massive features
as these gibing voices rang upon his ears in
insult which no proud, free hunter might en-
dure, they would have taken the hint, to be-
ware of chafng the silently foaming boar any
longer.
This was an ill.starred day for Jack, though
from this time troubles began to thicken
about him. The even tenor Of his simple
happy life was destroyed, and indignity and
outrage followed each other fast. Hinch
never forgave the unlucky skill which had
robbed him of his proudest boast, that OF
being the best marksman on the frontier, and
he swore, in base, vindictive hate, to dog him
to death, or make him leave the country.
Soon after this, valuable horse belonging
to rich and powerful planter, disappeared.
He was one Of those men who had compro-
missed with the Regulators, paying so much
black-mail for exemption from their depreda-
tions, and protection against others of the
same stamp and he now applied to Hinch,
for the recovery of his horse, and the punish
ment of the thief. This Hinch, under the
contract, was bound to do, and promised to
accomplish forthwith. He and some Of his
men went off on the trail of the missing
horse, and returning next day, announced
that they had followed it with all their skill
through great many windings, evidently
intended to throw off pursuit, and had at last
traced it to Jack Long picket fence, and
there could be no doubt but he was the thief.
The planter knew nothing of Jack, but that
he was new conner, and demanded that he
should be forced to give up the horse, and
punished to the extremity of the frontier
code But this was not Hinch's plan yet
awhile. He knew the proofs we're not strong
enough to make the charge plausible, even
before Lynch Court of which he himself
was both the prosecutor, judge, and execu-
toner. His object was to frat get up a hue
and cry against Long, and under cover of a
general excitement, accomplish his devlish
purposes without question or mock trial even.
So that, after great deal of maneuvering,
for eight or ten days, during which time the
charge against Long was industriously circu.
lated by his myrmidons, so as to attract gen.
eral attention and expectation, as to the result
of his investigations-he proclaimed far and
wide, that he had found the horse at last,
hid in timber bottom near Longs! This,
of course, seemed strong confirmation of his
guilt, and though the mob were most of them
horse thieves, to all intents yet it was an un-
pardonable crime for any one to practice pro-
tessionally among themselves so that Long
was loudly denounced, and threatened on
every side, and ordered to leave the conntry
forthwith.
These proceedings Jack by no means COM
pretended, or felt disposed to be removed by !;
but gave them one and all to understand, that
he meant to remain where he Was, until 1t
entirely suited his convenience to 90 ; and
that if his time and theirs did not happen to
agree they light make the most of it. And
Jack was such an uncompromising, snaggish
looking somebody, and his reputation which
had now spread everywhere-of possessing
such consumate skill with his rifle, that he
thought it condescension to shoot game any
where else but in the eyes-was so fOrmida-
BILE, that no individual felt disposed to push
the matter to personal collision. He might
still, therefore, have been left in quiet, but
Hinch had unfortunately taken up the i'm.
preston, from Jack conduct in the shooting
match affair, that he must be coward, and
if this were true, that all his skill amounted
to but little and like any other bloody,
wol6sh brute, he followed him up the more
eagerly for this very reason, which would
have disarmed a generous foe. Besides, Jack
had given fresh and weightier matter of of:
fence, in that he had refused to obey, and
defed his authority as Regulator. The very
being of that authority seemed to require
now that wholesome example should be
made of him, for the awing of all refractory
persons hereafter. The wretch, who was
cunning as ferocious, had sworn in his inmost
heart to ruin and disgrace Long from the
moment of that triumph, now availed himself
remorselessly of all his influence, and know
ledge of the society around him to accom-
plish it. Several horses now disappeared,
and robberies of other kinds, perpetrated
with singular dexterity, followed in quick
succession All these things he managed,
through the clamors of his scoundrelly troops,
to have laid directly or indirectly, to Jacks
door.
But in the popular estimation they counted
as nothing, in fixing the charge of danger
Gus malice upon poor Long, in comparison
with one other incident. About this time
not only Hinch himself, but every other per-
son who had made himself conspicuous, by
insisting upon Jacks guilt, and the necessity
of furnishing him summarily, began to lose,
every day or two, valuable stock, which was
wontonly shot down sometimes in sight of
their house, and it soon began to be remark
ed that every animal lost in this way, had
been shot in the eye! This was instantly as.
sociated, of course, with Jacks well-known
and curious prediction for that mark in
hunting, and pefect storm of indignation
followed. A meeting was at once convened
at "the store," of which the planter was the
chairman and at it, by an unanimous vote,
resolution was passed condemning Jack
Long to be whipped and driven out of the
country-and Hinch with his Regulators
appointed to carry it into effect! He could
l,dl,, ,onto;n b;mSalf for ioy for now