The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1897-10-17
A FEUD OF 'S6.
BY GERTRUDE ATHERTON.
Copyrighted, 1897, by Gertrude AthertOn.


Valley man. allus Round Valley man
dead or Twin He got his wife there, too,
and she's done well by him"
I'D like to know who did the KILN"
Jest as well you don't. Truths easier
than lynn, when the sheriff comes askin'
questions"
well, I can say dunno fast enough,
but I'm suspicionin' all the same, Hck."
Look out" said the other darby, 1t
amt safe to think too loud these times"
He opened the door of the cabin and
glanced uheasily forth. Had his vision
been younger the black recesses of the
forest would have told it nothing. The
hour was seven, but the forest was on
mountain and its trees were pines, its
roof a mass of curved uplifted lacing
arms. He closed the door and returned to
the younger man who stood with his back
to the fireplace, his brows drawn togeth-
er, staring at the floor He wore top boots
and the rough mountaineer's costume; but
his beard and hair were carefully trimm-
ed, and his flannel shirt was fastened with
smart blue tie; Tom Knowles was known
on Long Ridge as bit of dude. The
old man sat down and filled pipe.
who be We suspicionin'?" he asked af-
ter an evident effort to suppress curios-
ity.
John Howard himself"
"Wh-a-t?" The other was too over
come for expletive. He sat staring at
Knowles with his lips dropping away from
his pipe John Howard was the cattle king
of Long Ridge the biggest man in North
Mendocino and South Trinity
But he amt never in these parts" add
ed "Hick," after moment. "LeastwayS he
amt been for two year or more"
hf Il seen him not twenty minutes before
the murder within a half mile of Ike's
ranch. He was alone, and he was skuikr
in among the trees" sf
But how'd you be sure twas him? 1t
must have been dark enough by then
'twixt six and seven"
81 was closer to him than I am to you
He didn't see me. ! was lynn on the
ground-had been asleep; l opened my eyes
and there most walkin' over me, was
John Howard. He was on his colt, Trim
ity. the one that cow-puncher of his, Ham
Slack, broke in for trail followin. He mad
on a light grey suit and what they can
down to Weaver, a cheviot shlrt-they
come from New York, and are fine enough
Il
hat with a dark ribbon round it, He
looked morn as if he was goin to call on
his best girl than to do murder, only ne
was scowlin' black as hell, and them
steel blue eyes of has was hard as glass.
But he amt the man to dirty his hands
with KILN mountain folk. One of his
cow-punchers could do the business for
him, and no risk run anywhere. Git out
amt goin' to believe Mr. Towards any
such doggoned fool as that"
ike had killed his boss cow-puncher,
there amt much doubt about that .. tf
"Well-good Lord!' tuF
"And he's given him more trouble than
all the anti-Howards put together. If it
hadn't been for Ike-to my mind, and I've
good reason for thinkin' so-Mr. Towards
cattle would be browsin in Round Valley
this minute If it Warn't Ike Brandt that
started the whole feud then I'll engage to
drop six Howard eow-punchers myself
and I'm law-abidin' citizen
The older man ratified his pipe among
his large brown infrequent teeth. A coal
fell on his ragged beard, but burnt its
way unheeded. Hickory Mott was some
thing of a hermit; his wife was dead, his
children married. The nearest house was
four miles away. He dearly loved bit of
gossip; and gossip on Long Ridge, these
days, had much of the early Californian
flavor.
~ want ter know" he said eagerly
"Do tell me. He's dead now-poor 1ke-so
1t can't hurt"
Its just what I've picked up here and
there, putin two and two together Ike
was as peace-lovin and law-abidin' as
any of us, in spite of that ugly temper
of his He never cared for whisky, loved
to hear Sally play the pianner and sit
with his wife by the fire in the evenin's
while she mended, or outside and watch
the sun set in summer. There warn't no
happier household on Long Ridge, and
that's sayin a good deal. But when Mr..
Towards cattle took to appropriaun'
Refund Valley, and then the hull range,
and when six families in succession was
prevented one way and another from COM
in and settlin' on the Ridge then his
dander got up and he couldn't do nothin
for a solid year but talk about it. OF
course everybody was talkin'. but he had
the most to say. Then all of a sudden
he shut up; never had another word to
say about the business Now, I've good
reason to think that he picked his men
among that gang the rest of us let alone,
and who are always spoilin' for fight
and organized a regular feud. First, l
surmise, they only intended to kill the
cattle; but from cattle to men amt a
long stride when blood's up, and now the
anti-Howards' Apt twelve murders to
their account and the Towards ten"
The old man heaved a profound sigh
'Long Ridge amt what 1t used to be-"
ne Sdlu II q TAI nal SIldLl6t 100. 1DIGe
year ago a woman could ride alone from
one end of Long Ridge to t'other and be
safe'n If she war in Frisco, but she'd
better stop to hum now. Blood and
graves is gittin' too thick the Ridge
The only girl one sees a mile from any,
where these days is Sally Brandt. She
don't seem to be afraid of nothin I
met her on the Divide the other day. and
told her she'd better make tracks for hura
before IL got dark, but she only laughed
in my face. BE you thnkin of maryin
Sally?"
The other drew his brows together q
amt got no chance. That school marin
and too much book-learnin has spoiled
Sally for rough mountain men. When
she was 16 she was just perfect but that's
four year ago, and she's awful changed"
Eyes, she be, she be But she's go:
TO marry some time. and Ia like TO know
what chance but the likes of you she II
ever get UP here She's never even been
to Weaver only once Howsomever. got
any more to tell about Brandt and the
feud?"
only this-that Towards a mighty
smart chan IL he Is a dude and d.,