The Washington critic., 1889-02-04

willing slaves, The abieCt tools, OF tho fc-
rocious vices OF his brutal insulter; aud IL
would have been contest not with him
alone, but with all Of them. This was
stronger than pride with Jack, and he
walked on.
But he incurred the hate OF finch, re-
lontless and unsparing. To bo shorn in-so
unceremonlous manner Of the very rebti-
tation he pfided himself most upon Ia The
presence Of his men, to be deprived Of so
fruitful n theme of Standardization and
boosting, as the reputation Of being the
foremost marksman the frontier afforded,
was too much for the pride Of the thick
blocded savage. and he swore To dog the i'm.
offensive hunter to the death, or out from
the country. ..
From this time poor jack was in hot
water. Shortly after horse was stolen
from n rich and powerful planter I'm the
nelghborhood OF the town. The animal
was fine one and the planter was greatly
enroged at the loss; for he was one OF those
who paid "blackmaip' to the Regulators
for projections from all annoyances, immu-
nifty from depredations not only by them
selves, but from any other quarter. lie
now called upon them to hunt down the
thief, az they were bound under the con-
tract 10 do. aud return the horse. Hinch
collected his band with great parade and
proceeded to follow the tfnil which was
readily discoverable near the planters
house. Lutte In the evening he re-
turned aud announced that after
tracing IL with great difficulty through
many devious w,ndlnrs, evidently lntendsd
to puzzle pursuit, he had at last been led
directly to the near vicinity OF Jack Longs
hut. This created much surprise, for no
one had suspected Jack OF bad habits. Blu.
Hinch aud his Villains br,iited far aud wide
all the circumstances tending to criminate
him
After making these things as notorious as
possible, the horse was Unexpectedly found
tied with lafiat TO & tree In Il dense bottom
near jacks
This seemed TO settle the question OF Iis
crininaliiy, and there was n general cutlery
raised around him on all sides For though
the majority OF those most clamorous
against him were horse thieves themselves
yet, according to the doctrine Of "honor
among thievcs,n there could be no greater
or objectionable enormity committed than
10 steal among themselves. He must be
warned TO "Qut the country was In the
mouth Al everybody, and he was warned.
Jack with great simplicity gave them to
understand that he was not ready to 20
That when he was he should leave nj his
leisure; but that II his convenience and
theirs did not happen to agree, they might
make the most Of 1t.
THIS left no alternative but force, and no
individual felt disposed to take the per-
sonal responsibility upon himself OF
collision with SO uumomising looking
body.
Things were not quite ripe, and Jack,
with all the hurrah aud excitement about
MIN, kept even on his way, conquering and
TO conquer among the hairy tribe
Singular Instances of the most vile and
wanton spite now began to occur In various
parts OF the region around.
Az quick intervals valuable horses and
mules were found shot dead close to the
dwellings OF planters. The rumor soon got
out that all these animals might be OBJ
served to belong to those persons who had
made themselves most active in denouncing
JACK Long. Then was noticed the curious
fact that all OF them were ehot through the
eye. This was at once associated with the
remark OF Jack, and his odd feat OF firing
through bullet-hole atthe shooting match
This seemed to designate him certainly as
the guilty man; and as animal after animal
continued 10 fall, every one of them slain
In The same why, sperfect blaze OF indigna-
ton burst out'on all sides A county meet
ing was got up, atwhich one OF the planters
presided, and resolutions were passed that
Jack Long, as bad citizen, should be
lynched and driven from the county forth
with liinch, OF course, dictated a resolution
which be was to have the pleasure OF carry
Ing into effect.
In the meantime Jack had given himself
very little trouble about what was said of
him. He kept himself SO entirely apart from
everybody that he was nearly In perfect ig-
norance OF what was going on.
One evening he had returned laden down
as usual with the spolls TO his hunt. II
was snug little lodge I'm the wilderness,
that home Of jacks. 1t stood beneath the
shade OF an island grove, on the hillside,
overhanging thicket which bordered
small stream, No trellised vines ran over
1t, nor garden flowers nodded with gaudy
crests about It, But the gray silvery moss
hung It's matchess drapery in long frlnges
from the old, widearmcd oaks above, and
that mild but most pervadlng odor which
the winds are sklllful to steal from the
breath OF leaves, the young grass growing,
and the painting languishment Of delicate
Wild flowers filled the whole atmosphere
around. These were the perfumes and the
sights the coy, cxacting taste OF bold
rover OF the solitudes must have; the fresh
face Of nature and her breathing, sweet as
childhood's, could alone satisfy the senses
and the soul of one grown thus In love with
the freedom OF the wilderness.
The round, happy face Of his wife greeted
him with smiles from the door as he ap.
preached, while his little boy and girl, nut
Drown ana rudy, stroye with emulous
short steps pattering over the thick grass,
to meet him first, and clinging TO his
fingers, prattled and shouted to tell their
mother of his coming.
He entered, and the precious rife was
carefully deposited on the accustomed
"hooksh of bucks horns nailed against the
wall. Inc smoking meal her tidy care had
prepared was dispatched, ana the hunting
adventures OF the DAY told over Then he
!nreW nlmsell win MS great length along
me 'puliaIo roDe on the moor, 10 rest and
nave romp WIN me children: While
they were ciihping over MS large BODY and
scrampIhg III riotous JOY ABOUT nm, MIS-
we spoke ior some water Tor heI domestic
affairs, III WAS hard for the children 10