The Washington critic., 1889-02-04

him with t0unts-but jack looked Hike sicl
a formidable customer 10 he taken hold or
/ that no one Of them felt disposed to pusl
him too far and risk being made iudvidu
/ ally the sui Of display Of the great
! strength Indicated in the size uf his holy
lie was upwards OF six feet four TN height
/ with shoulders like the buttiesses OF d
tower, and proportions developed in fine
symmetry.
| Finding they could not tempt him to q
| personal fray, they changed tho note, and
by. every sort OF caioery, endoavOrod To
enlist the remarkable physical energy and
skill he was conjectured to possess In The
service Of their schemes Of brutal violence
But Jack waived all sort Of participation
In them with smiling aud unvarying good
humor, which, though II enraged the
baflled rufllans, gave them no possible ex.
cuse for provocation. They would not
have regarded this, but that there was still
less invitation In that formidable person
ana rifle, aud somehow or other they had an
underlined sense that the man was not sat
himself as the phrase goes IN the West
that he had not yet been reused to con-
seriousness OF his own energies and capa-
bilities, and they were a little adverse to
waking him. .... ..
They finally gave him up, therefore, and
jack might, after all, have been left in
peace to love MOllie and the children as
hard as he pleased, and indulge his passion
Tor workmanship only at the expense OF
the dumb, wild things around him, but
that he was accidentally led TO make an
unfortunate display OF Il. n..
A few log nuts uear the centre consti-
tuted the county town. Here was the gro
Gerry. or store, as IL was dgniied at which
alone powder aud lead and whisky were to
be obtained for many miles around.
Jnck happened toget out OF ammunition,
and came into this place for o fresh supply.
Attracted by the whisky, this was the
headquarters Of the Regulators, aud they
were all collected for grand shooting
match, and, of course, getting drunk as fast
rs possible.
When Jack arrived, he found them gath.
cred In group under cluster OF trees sew
eral hundred yards from the house.
IL had been some time since there had
been any alteration between any of them
and himself; aud though he supposed It was
all forgotten, yet he felt some little disin-
clinaiion 20 joining them, aud had resolved
not to do IT,. But rs once, and again and
again, that sharp report lie loved so well to
hear, would ring out, followed by the clam
ors, ordinations and eager grouping of the
men around the target to critically examine
the result of each shot, his passion for the
sport and curiosity to see how others shot
overcame feeling, that he was going TO do
what, for Mollie's sake, was an imprudent
thing.
Ilincb, the Regulator Captain, had al
ways been the unrivalled hero of such oc-
casions; for apart from the fact that he was
really an admirable shot, he was known to
be so fierce, clustering and vindictiye u
bully, that nobody dared try very hard to
beat him, since he would be certain TOT make
personal affair OF 1t with whoever pre-
sumed to be so lucky or SO sklllful
Now, everybody In the county was
well aware Of this but Jack, and
he either was not aware or did
not care for the matter, II he did
know II. He knew, though, that Hinch
was famous shot; and noticing that he was
preparing to shoot, started 10 join them, de
termned to see for himself what they called
shooting.
He came swinging himself careless,y
among them, with long, heavy strides, as
they were all vociferating in halfdrunken
captures over the glorious shot just made
by Hinch-and he, in his customary man.
ncr, was swearing and raving at every one
around him, haunting them with their
bnngling, and defying them to try again.
Observing Jack, he ierked the target away,
and, with loud grating laugh, thrust 1t In
sultingly close to his face.
"Hah Jack Longlegs they say you can
shoot Look at that Look close, will
you :" pushing 1t closer to his eyes. "Can
you beat it ~
Jack stepped back, and, looking deliber-
ately at the BOARD target, said, very dryly,
"Pshaw The cross amt clean out !! /
shouldn't think / was doing any great
things to beat such shooting as that %
"You shouldn't, shouldn't you pn roared
Hincb, furious at Jacks GOODNESS "You'll
try it, won't your I'd like to see you
You must try It You shall try 1t, Wen
see what sort of swell you are %
"Oh !" said Jack, altogether unrufiled.
'lf must, must Put uph board thar,
men. III you want to see me shoot through
every hole, rll do 1t for yen
And walking back to the "off-haud"
"markersn had placed tho board against
the tree he had wheeled, and slowly swing
ing his long rifle down from his shoulder to
the level, fired as quick as thought.
"Ips trick of mine ~ remarked he,
nodding his head toward Hlnch, who stood
near, while he was lowering bis gun to the
position for reloading. "It's trick caught
from always shooting at varmlnts' eyes l
never takes 'em any whar else It's no.
tion I've got ~
At this moment the men standing near
the target, who had rushed Instantly with
great eagerness to see the result, shouted,
while one OF the "markersh held II aloft
over their heads -...-- /.
"lle's done 1t His balls the biggest
he's driv 1t through yonr hole and made 1t
wider !''
Hinch turned pale Rushing forward, he
tore the target away from the marker,
and examining 1t infinitely, shouted
hoarsely:
''It's an accident He can't do 1t again
He's humbug I'll bet the ears of buff
falo calf against his that he can't do IL
again lie Is afraid to do 1t again ~
oh said Jack, wnklng aside to the
men, "if you mean by that bet your ears
against mine, take 1t up Boys, fix a
new board up thar, with nice cross on the
centre, and will show the Captain here the
clean thing in shootn' r' AS he said this
he laughed goodhumoredly, and the men
could not help joining him.
Hinch, who was loading his gun, said
nothing, but glared around him, with
white, compressed lips and chafel look of
fury. Thenen, who were in reality puL-
zled TO tell whether Jacks manner midi
Gated contempt or unconscious simplicity,
looked ON the progress Of this scene and
for the result of the coming trial, with in
tense curiosity, The new board was now
ready, and llinch stepped forward with
great parade
After aiming long time he fired. The
men were around the board In moment,
and instantly proclaimed it tirstrate shot.
And so it was, The edge Of the ball had
broken, without touching the curve
Jack, with the same ineXplica-
bic GOODNESS which marked his whole
bearing, without the slightest hesitation,
shaking his head us he took his stand, re-
marked:
"Twon't do yet-'tain't plumb-'taint
the clean thing yet, boys;n and throwing
out his long rifle again in the same needless
style, fired before one could think.
The men spraug forward aud announced
that the centre was cut out with the most
exact aud perfect nicely. At the same mo-
ment, greatly to the establishment Of every
one, Jack walked deliberately of toward
the house, without waiting to hear tho an-