Page:The American review - a Whig journal of politics, literature, art, and science (1845).djvu/139

 was loading his gun, said nothing, but glared around him with white compressed lips and a chafed look of stifled fury, which made those who knew the man shudder. The men, who were in reality puzzled to tell whether Jack's manner indicated contempt or unconscious simplicity, looked on the progress of this scene, and for the result of the coining trial, with intense curiosity. The new board was now ready, and Hinch stepped forward with great parade to make his shot. After aiming a long time—he fired. The men were around the board in a moment, and instantly proclaimed it a first rate shot. And so it was. The edge of the ball had broken, without touching, the centre. Jack, with the same inexplicable coolness which marked his whole bearing, and without the slightest hesitation, shaking his head as he took his stand, remarked, "'Twon't do yet—'taint plumb—'taint the clean thing yet, boys;" and throwing out his long rifle again in the same heedless style, fired before one could think. The men sprang forward and announced that the centre was cut out with the most exact and perfect nicely. At the same moment, greatly to the astonishment of every one. Jack walked deliberately off toward the house, without waiting to hear the announcement. "Hah!" shouted Hinch furiously after him, "I thought you was a coward! Look at the sneak! come back!" He fairly roared, starting after him, "come back, you can't shoot as well before a muzzle!" Jack walked on without turning his head. "Ha, ha!" laughed the Regulator, almost convulsed with fury, "see, the coward is running away to hide under his wife's petticoats!" and long and loud he pealed the harsh taunt after Jack's retreat. The men who at first had been greatly astonished at the rash daring which could thus have ventured to beard the lion in his most formidable mood, and felt the instinctive admiration with which such traits always inspire such breasts, now, on seeing what appeared to be so palpable a "back-out," joined also in the laugh with Hinch. They thought it was cowardice!—A holy sentiment they could not understand, kept watch and ward over the terrible repose of passion. If they only could have seen how that broad massive face was wrenched and grew white with the deep inward spasm of pride struggling for the mastery, as those bitter gibes, so hard to be borne by a free hunter, rung upon his ears, they would have taken warning to beware how they farther molested that dangerous slumber of fierce energies. The strong man in reality had never waked. His consciousness was only aware of a single passion, and that controlled and curbed all others. The image of his wife and children rose above the swelling tumult which shook his heavy frame. He saw them deserted and homeless, with no protection in this wild and lawless region, should he fall in a struggle with such fearful odds. For all these men were the willing slaves, the abject tools, of the ferocious vices of his brutal insulter; and it would have been a contest, not with him alone, but with all of them. This was stronger than pride with Jack, and he walked on. But he had incurred the hate of Hinch—relentless and unsparing. To be shorn, in so unceremonious a manner, of the very reputation he prided himself most upon, in the presence of his men; to be deprived of so fruitful a theme of self-glorification and boasting, as the reputation of being the foremost marksman the frontier afforded, was too much for the pride of the thick-blooded, malignant savage; and he swore to dog the inoffensive hunter to the death, or out from the county.

From this time poor Jack was in hot water. Shortly after a horse was stolen from a rich and powerful Planter in the neighborhood of the town. The animal was a fine one, and the Planter was greatly enraged at the loss; for he was one of those who paid "black mail" to the Regulators for protection from all such annoyances, immunity from depredations not only by themselves, but from any other quarter. He now called upon them to hunt down the thief, as they were bound under the contract to do, and return the horse. Hinch collected his band with great parade and proceeded to follow the trail, which was readily discoverable near the Planter's house. Late in the evening he returned and announced, that after tracing it with great difficulty through many devious windings, evidently intended to puzzle pursuit, he had at last been led directly to the near vicinity of Jack Long's hut. This created much surprise, for no one had suspected Jack of bad habits. But Hinch and his villains bruited far and wide all the circumstances tending to criminate him. After making these things as notorious as possible, attracting as great a