Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1894-06-07

hechou W All dOOuC right, Oh
! man. and the boy nimbly jumped
towardt b convenient tree stump. Per
| hapS BradShaw'S firing at that mo
ment was purely accidental, perhaps
not. At any rate the young poachel
fell, pierced through the chest. Be
fore the smoke had cleared from Brad
shaw'S gun two more shots were
heard in swift succession, one Strik
ing the old man in the shoulder ana
the other in the right leg. He fel
forward on his hands and knees an(
tried to raise his gun, but the efforl
was futile
For many months the partisans OF
the BradShawS and the Buttons never
met without bloOdshed. On three oc
caSions small pitched battles were
wagered by some two score or more OF
men on each side. Assassination in
darkness and by daylight was re-
sorted to without compunction. OF
nine boys in the Buttons family. all
We're quietly picked off from time to
time, ambushed in the road, shot in
their own dooryard in the early morn
ing hours, and the retainers were
killed in twos and three, for they
seldom travelled alone. If the house
of Buttons suffered, so did the house
of Bradshaw. Big Pink Bradshaw, the
eldest son, was the sole surviving
member. Even little nine-year-old
Bud was brutally killed "Gnats breed
f1ies,' was Old Man Buttons COM
ment on the deed. Of course, this
state of open hostility paralyzed the
truck business. The mining camps
which had depended upon the Pine
Ridge settlement for supplies were
obliged to send up to Peoples Valley,
and even down as far as Phoenix.
About this time came a temporary
check to the feud.
Something unusual was going on in
Pink Bradshaw's cabin. Hidden be-
hind the chapparel outside the bars
were four of Buttons men, waiting
for Pink to come out to feed the stock.
The sun had risen high and was beat
ing down with sullen fiercenesS in the
clearing, and still Pink had not set
foot outside the house Possibly he
suspected what was in store for him.
One of the men wriggled around under
an elder bush to the west of the house
for the purpose of learning, if posi-
BILE, what was going ON inside. He
tried to peer in at the windows through
the screen of thick foliage, but the red
chintz curtains were tightly drawn,
Then he heard a stihed sob.
'Oh, Pink
ooh, Pink
'Kaint / do somethin' fer yo',
Marthy?"
mo, Pink, yo KANT do nothin'."
Then there were some moments of
silence, broken at last by the faint
cry of child.
Hits boy, Pink" exclaimed the
woman's voice.
Reckon L might jess as we'll 90 an
feed the stock now, hedn't [? You've
got SON to protect yo'," and laugh
ing, Pink walked to the bedside
stopped and kissed the white lips and
face, and then turned toward the door.
The man in the bushes rose up and
waved his hat. The door opened
Three shots were fired simultaneously
Bradshaw staggered and fell, strik-
ing the post Of the gate. Then the
men came to the fence and watching
with their rifles that no one removed
the dead body. SO it remained
Throughout the long, hot day, untouched
save by the swine.
Pink's death ended the fued for the
time. There was no more BradShaWs
time. There were no more BradshaWs
house. But Pink'S wife was patient
Little Pink would grow UP some day
and avenge his fathers death. Every
night when She Laid him in his little
cot Pink'S mother would bend over the
sleeping face and pray for this. But
human plans frequently miscarry. In
bis sixth year Pink, Jr., died Of scar
let fever, and it was thought the dis
tracted mother could not survive him
No one ever knew how her love and
hate were bound up in that slender
thread of life.
''Pink'S widow was sitting on a huge
pine log one afternoon by the spring
on the old dividing line. Her thoughts
came stumbling along carrying a pain
were very bitter. Andy Hawkins
Of branding irons.
Mice evenin', Mis- Pink
''They air all the same,' replied the
widow, dolefully.
Say, now, there amt no use talkin
on bout what KANT be helped. You're
too good-lOOkin' to be sniyelin' aroun
all the time Eff you'd brace up yoU
could ketch some likely young fellal
and jine up with i'm"
Il KANT ketch no un."
whats the matter with me- Andy
replied, with broad grin.
You! Lawdr' Then she paused {
moment and continued. Say, Andy
do you Want me?"
! ''Jes try me-"
! ''Well, I'll make a swap with you
I'll give you my han'-remember, my
ham, when yo' fetch me ole man But
| tons scalp"
Andy looked down between hi
knees, then at the woman, then bacl
{ at the ground He was not the per
son to make a hasty decision abou
! even a trivial matter, and there wa
nothing trivial about this proposition
Finally he said with considerable EN-
phasis, Hits a 60" Then he pickle,
up his branding irons and resume,
his walk down the trail.
him. ANDY! When? When?'