Year: 1867

OuE uD6H AulblEd 4lul bQl4tf way anu
when we came out to join them be
greeted US with a snarling sort of civil
ity. He was a thick set, broad shout


dered, burly looking wretch, with


bloOd-shot eyes, and face bearing all


the marks of Tiotous debauchery. Cur
search was for several hours entirely


unsuccessful, until Henry by accident


found the place where he had encoUn-


tered the Bearded Ghost, as some one


christened him. Here one of the


keen-eyed hunters found the traces of


a large moecasined foot. These were


pursued for several miles and lost, but
in spreading our line and continuing


the same general course for some dis


tance farther, we at last found indeed


the body of Stoner. It had been so


much mutilated by Che wolves and ra-


vens that little examination was made


of the bones We gathered then to-


gether to carry home to his family, and


In doing this [ noticed the fracture of


a bullet through the back Of che skull.


It had been stripped bare of flesh, and


both eyes piUcked out by the birds,


and was too shocking an object for


close examination. The Regulators,


fatigued and disheartened, scattered


for their respective homes. But one


of their number never reached his


Being missed for two days, there was a
general turnout to look for him; and as


had been the case with Stoner, his


body was found torn to pieces BY She


wolves. The report was, that he, toe,


was shot through the back ef the


head


These murders, and the singular
circumstances ACCOMMODATING them
created great sensation. t1inch and


his troop secured the country in every
direction, arresting and lynching sus-
piciOus persons, as they called them.
One door inofFensive fellow they hung
and cut down four or five times, to
make him confess but nothing was
elected, and they left him with barely
a spark of life.


That evening, as they were return
ing to their headquarters at '6he store.
one Of them, named Winter, missed a
portion of his horse furniture, which
had become accidentally detached
He said that he had observed it in its
place a mile back-Ghat he would re-
turn to get it, and re}Oin them at the
store, by the time they should be ready
to commence the spree they had de-
termined on Soiug into that night. He
left them and never returned. They
soon got drunk and did not particular
ly notice hts absence until some time
the next day, when his family, alarm
ed By the return of his horse with an
empty saddle, sent to inquire after
him This sort of inquiry bad come
to be so significant Of late, that they
we're instantly sobered, and mounting,
rode back on their trail. Very soon a
swarm of buz6ards and wolves, near a
line of thickst ahead, designated the
whereabouts of the object Of their
search; and there they found his flesh
less bones scattered on every side
They were appalled,. The rstldest
bloated cheek among them blanched.
1t was terrible. They seemed to be
doomed. They shivered, while the
great drops started from their fore
heads. and withoEt looking for any
trail, OF even gathering up the bones,
they started back at full speed, spread.
ing the alarm everywhere. The ex-
citement now became universal and
tremendous, Nearly the whole cOun-
try turned out for the purpose of un-
ravel this alarming mystery; and the
superstitious frenzy was in no small
degree heightened by the report, that
this man had been shot In the same
way as the others-in the BACK OF
THE HEAD


The story of Henry was greatly i'm
proved upon and added to; and, as
some reports had it, the Madman, or
Bearded Ghost, was seen in half
dozen places at the same time-uOW on
foot, stalking with enormous strides
across some open glance from thicket
passing out Of sight again before the
observer could recover from his sur
prise; then mounted, he was seen fiy-
ing like the shadow of a summer cloud
over the praIries, or beneath the gloom
of forests, always haggard and lean,
dressed in skins with the hair on, and
that long, heavy rife on his shoulder


They carried it so far as to attract
to it, and arouse IN the cum
ming mind of Hinch the same suspi-
cion which had occurred to Henry and
myself, namely, that all this was the
result of a profoundly acute and thor
oughly organized scheme of this class,
headed by some man of peculiar per-
sOnalities and skill, with the object of
eXterminating the Regulators. It /
seemed impossible, that, without col
lision with many others. the murderer !
should have been able to so battle all !
pursuit, Hiuch and his band had been
eowed and awed; but the /
this idea occurred to them. |
the reaction of their base fears was
savage exultatiOn.


They forthwith proclaimed war TO
the knife, with the whole class; and
during the next week several outrages
so revolving that [ will not detail them,
were peTpetTated upon these men In
different parts of the country; and the
fact that during this general tumult,
nothing, more was seen or heard of the
mysterious Riflleman encouraged them
with the belief that they had succeed
ed in getting rid of him through the
intimidation Of his confederates.


They had now been for nearly a fort
night in the saddle-had glUtted them
selves with vengence, and, as they
broken down this danger /
Gus conspiracy against their power /; /
and if they had not succeeded in de- /
tecting and Furnishing, had at least !
of their singular foe
They now concluded, they might safe |
ly disband. That day, after they sep
arated, one Of their number name d |
Rees-almost as bad and savage a man
as Hinch himself-was riding past a
in sight of his own house,
when he was shot from it. His ne
groes heard the gun, and seeing his
horse galloping up to the house rider
less, shouting wildly they then ran
down, and found him stretched in the |
road dead. lie 50as shot ~ The eye,
and the ball passed out at the back of !
his head.


When Hinch heard this, he turned /
perfectly livid, his knees smote togeth- |
er, and with horrible oath, he ex-
claimed, It's Jack Long, or his ghost
by G.! come back for vengeuce p tt |
was now perceived, for the first time |
that all the men had been shot through |
the eye, instead of in the back of the |
head where the ball had passed out |
after entering at the socket. The 9TH |
ers heads had been too unpleasantly
mutilated for examination, and this
fact had not been before Observed
Of course, every body was satisfied !
now that this terrible being in one
al