Year: 1875




he was borne down by an attack from


behind, bound securely and dragged


some yards into the woods. When ht


recognized his assailants he knew wha


to expect. He had fallen into the hands


of the Reddett gang. and the leader was


about to "get even." Long was stripped


and bound to tree by order of the Cap


tain. A supply of hickory switches was


obtained, and the Captain took one OF


them up and began the whipping, an


nouncing, with an oath, that no man


could beat him or his men at shooting


and stay in the country. The sufferings


of the victim were terrible. The flesh


was cut from his back in stripes by the
blows, and when the leader of the ruff
fans had gratified his rage, others of the
band continued the punishment. But
one man among the number showed any
mercy and his assertions that Long had
been punished enough were received
with derision. Finally the hunter faint
ed under the pain, and the rutfians, hav-
ing satisfied their grudge, departed,
leaving the object of their spite still
bound to the tree. In this position he
was found by his wife, who had become
alarmed for his safety, and who, searching
| for him, had been attracted to the spot
by faint moaning. She assisted him
to reach the cabin, which he did with
| difficulty, and then nursed him faith
I fully to recovery. 1t was weeks before
he was well enough to move about.


Scarcely had Long recovered from his
wounds when his cabin was found de-
serted, and members of the Reddett
band, thinking that he had fled the
country, boosted openly of what they had
done. At the same time, they became
bolder than ever in the commission of
crime, always hunting or travelling to-
gether in company of between twenty
and thirty, and defying attack from any
quarter. One day, as they were engaged
on hunt, member of the band became
separated from the rest in the excite
ment of the chase. He was found, lying
dead shot in the left eye. A few days
later, one of the ruffians, riding alone,
was killed. Again the bullet was found
to have entered the left eye, but no trace
of the slayer could be discovered. A
week or two passed, and another of the
desperadoes was shot, the same terrible
accuracy being exhibited III 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 an
other iell, until ten men had died, each
one pierced in the eye. The woods were
secured by the terrified men in vain. On
one occag' n, when member of the
band was Killed, the shot had been heard,
and once q gaunt figure was seen run
ming through the woods, but pursuit
failed to overtake him. Accustomed to
face danger as the desperadoes were and
possessed as they were of a brutal cour
age, they trembled before this mysteri-
Gus danger 1t could not be faced, and
it could not be averted.


The result was that some of the band
deserted and fed the region. There re-
NAMED only the Captain and four of the
more resolute of his followers. These
five hunted and made their raids togeth-
er, and for some time escaped harm. 1t
chanced that among the five was the man
who had endeavored TO save Long ut the |
time of the whipping from SO severe a
torture. This man one morning ven
tured out in the woods without his COM
rades. He was walking slowly along,
looking for game, when the brown bar
rel of & rifle projecting from q bush be-
side him checked his course. A tall,
lank figure rose from a bush, and the
startled man recognized Sam Long, the
hunter. Long raised the rifle, then low
cred it.


"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 !"


The man needed no second invitation
to go. He hurried to the camp and told
his story. The Captain and the other
three men started out in pursuit OF
Long, and but two accompanied Dick
Reddett when he returned The third
man had fallen, shot in the eye, and no
each of the undersbrush revealed ther
hunter. The next day another man was
killed in camp, and again the hunter es-
capped. On the next day the two remain
ing men fled the country, leaving the
fierce Reddett alone. The leader of the
desperadoes dared not remain where he
was. He knew he was the man whom
Long sought above all others.


Concealing himself until night, he
mounted his horse and fled for the near
est point on the Red river where it would
be possible to take passage on steam
boat. Two days later he reached small
landing in the woods on the banks of the
river, where the steamer stopped for pas
sengers, 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 afternoon,
and so, having put up the signal to Sc
cure landing of the boat, established
himself on the bank and waited. He
deened himself safe enough from pur-
sHit, 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 point in a moment or two,
and he waited expectantly. AS sudden
| ly as though risen from the ground, a
lank figure stood before him and the
muzzle of arihe peered into his face. The
terrified desperado had no difficulty in