Year: 1859

All IneSe InlnSS ne managed, through tnc
clamors of his scoundrelly troops, to have
laid directly or indirectly to jacks door.


But in the popular estimation they
counted nothing, III fixing the charge of
dangerous malice upon poor Long, in COM
parison with one incident. About this
time not only Hinch himself, but every
other person who had made himself con-
spicuous. by insisting upon jacks guilt,
and the necessity of Furnishing him sum-
marily, began to lose, every day or two,
valuable stock, which was wantonly shot
down sometimes in sight of their houses /;
and it soon began TO be remarked that
every animal lost in that way, had been
shot IN the eyei This was instantly assO-
ciated, of course, with Jacks well known
and curious prediction for mark iH
hunting, and a perfect storm of inaignss
ton followed. e7s


A meeting was at once convened at
"the store," of which the planter was
chairman; and at it, by unanimous vote,
a resolution was passed condemning Jack
Long to be whipped and driven out of the
country, and Hinch and his regulators ap-
pointed to carry it into effect He could
hardly contain himself for joy; for now,
whatever extreme his pitiless malignity
might choose to indulge itself in, he had
no fear of after claps or questioning. The
meeting had been mere form at any
rate. But these "formalities'' are all
powerful everywhere, and unsettled and
elementary as was the condition of socie-
ty here, this ruffian leader of ruffians felt
the necessity of acting under their sane
ton, though himself had dictated it. He
could and would have consummated his
purposes without it; but the faint life of
conscience within him-by a species of
logic peculiar to itself-felt relieved of
the grievous responsibility Of such crime
in the sense of participating with so many
others. Many a man has gone to the
devil in a crowd, who would have been
Mortified at undertaking the journey alone.
1t was the third day after the meeting.
Jack, during all these prosecutions, had
deported himself with the most stoical in
difference. Avoiding all intercourse with
the settlers, he had continued to hunt
with even more assiduity than usual, and
was in great measure ignorant of the
unenviable notoriety he was enjoying. He
had heard something of the charge with
which his character had been assailed,
but attributed them all to the Jealous en-
nifty he had incurred at the shooting
match. He could understand perfectly
how one man could hate another who
had beat him shooting, and thought ii
natural enough but he could not under
stand how that hatred might be meanly
and desperately vindictive, and therefore
gave himself no uneasiness about it. He
was only anxious that his wife should not
hear and be annoyed by any of these
things, and preserved his usual cheerful
ness of demeanor.


He had Just returned from hunting, and
LAYING aside his accoutrements, partook oi


the simple meal her neat housewifery


had prepared for him then stretching


himself upon the buffalo robe on the floor


romped with his two rosy checked boys


who rolled over his great body, and gam


boiled and screamed in riotous joy around


him but mother wanted some watel


from the branch, and the frolic must be


given over while Jack would go and


bring it. So jumping up, he left the lit


tie folks pouting willfully as they looked


after him from the door, and started. The


stream was only about hundred yard!


from the house, and the path leading tt


it was through dense, high thicket. L


was against Jacks religion ever to leave


his house without his gun; but the wife


whom he loved above all the universe o


sentiment and everything else, was in


hurry for the water, and the distance wa


so short, so he sprang gaily out with th'


vessel in his hand, leaving the rifle be


hind. The water had been dipped up


and he was returning along the marrow


path closely bordered with brush, whel


he felt light tap on each shoulder, an,


his career strongly impeded. He had jus


time to perceive that lasso had bee
thrown over him, which would confiu
his arms, when he saw himself suddenl
surrounded and rushed upon by numbe
, of men. He instantly recognized th
voice of Hinch, shouting "down wit
him Drag him downn' as the me
who had hold of the lssso about his bod
ierked at it violently in the effort to thro,
t him. AS it was, he dragged the six stor
> men, who held it, after his frantic bound
| nearly to his own door, before he wa
| Frustrated, and then it was by heav
t blow dealt him over the head with th
r butt of gun. The last objects which mt
t his eve as he sank down, were the horr
!. fed faces of his two children and Wi
: looking out upon him


3 The blow deprived him of his sens,
J, for some time, and when he recovered
= found himself half stripped, and lashe
: to tree short distance from his hous
: Hinch in front of him, with a knotte
: rope in his hand, his wife on the groun


wailing and clinging with piteous el
S treaty round the monsters knees, his chi
e dren weeping by her, and outside th
o group a circle of men with guns in the
q hands. That fearful awakening was
IS new birth to Jack Longl His eye tot
d in every thing at one glance. A shu
It der, like that of an oak riftiDg to its col
b sprang along his nerves, and seemed
J. pass out at his feet and through his fl
" gers, leaving him as rigid as marble; al
h when the blows of the hideous mockil
le devil before him fell upon his white fes
e making it welt in purple ridges, or spo
10 dull, black currents, he felt them no me
d than the dead Intel of his door wou
D. have done and the agony of that pc
n wife, shrieking a frantic echo to eve
N harsh, slashing sound, seemed to have
in more effect upon his ear than it had up
De the tree above them, which shook
IL green leaves to the self-same cadence tn
Re had held yesterday in the breeze.
" wide-opened eyes were glancing calm
~ and scrutinizingly into the faces of
a men who stood around-those featu
IN are never to bo forgotten !. for wh
in Hinch lays on the stripes with all his
I'd rious strength, blaspheming as they f
e. that glance dwells on each face will
re cold, keen, searching intensity, as If
be marked them to be remembered in be
&C. The mans air was awful-so concentl
ho ed-so still-so enduring! he ne
IN spoke, or groaned, or writhed-but th
"a ;neaura avae of HE tho ,vrafehas corld