The Cairo bulletin. (Cairo, Ill.) 1???-1928, 1906-05-07
N KENTUCKY
FE " D

Z fatt had been selling off a walnu
:, grove. but whether be had any LETT N,
& informant could not say. went Il
u find Moilatt and. reaching the crest o.
a low hill, saw Il man Ia front of {
:. little farmhouse sitting on the tol
rail Of fence, whiting.
Gan you tell me where | can fine
t MoffattT | qucried
{ He cast 4 glance at me out of the
corner Of his nearest eye and asked.
2 which Moffattf"
2 Il think they said his name was
Luke"
What yo want with Luke Moffatt
without yer gam
Gun? | have no use for a gun.
understand he has some walnut TIM
Der want 10 buy some"
Then yo be Mt the new Buckley
that's come ycrc lately"
Buckley? No. my name is War
field"
"Waal he said as though he still be-
lieyed that | was n Buckley hunting
for Mot'att. ''he amt got no walnut
How do you know"
Il reckon | ought to know. seem as
! I'm Luke Moifltt himself"
"Oh, why didn't you say so al first"
Didn't have my gun with me-"
I'm sorry sou haven't the timber
would have paid you good price for
/ it,"
81 only got four trees left, and | cal
| c'late I'll have use for EN-"
Going to make something for your
house out Of them?
Reckon you be a real stranger in
these parts Yol don't seem 10 know
what's up. There's trouble goIn' on be-
tween US Mof'atts and the Buckleys. /
When a Buckley gifts Killed, they bury
him in pine coffin. Sich won't do for /
us Moffatts I'm a-keepin' what's left [
o them trees for collins"
-o"Oh" | exclaimed That's what you /
are keeping them for Don't you think T
one tree win be enougn?"
mo there's sixty Of us Mofiatts, and I
we can't expect to eyterminate the
BuckIeys without big loss"
why do you wish TO externinate
them 2"
The man looked at me in surprise.
why, yo tarnal fool. ease they want
TO exterminate MS"
He seemed to have no patience with
one who was so thick skulled as not to
udprgtets11 Un Sfn,pfa a ppnI,lo,,, With
out explanation. and concluded to
leave him to his whiting So | said,
Good morning" the salutatlon he
seemed to consider superintendent
left him.
year later, being In the same neigh
borhood, had curiosity 10 see wheth
er the four trees were still standing.
| walked to Mofatt's house ana was
received by Mrs Moffatt, who told me f,
that her husband was ont chappng
down one of the trees. "Yo' see. stran-
ger" she said, there was n fight down
at tue town Yesterday between US 1Iof-
fats and the Buckleys, our men killed I
seven Bucklcys ana they killed five Of /
our men. My mans goin' to furnish 5
the collins TO our side"
HIN. May go out and see hlmE" '
WAL, seein' yo' han't got no gun. | /
reckon you mought co. /
Z found Moffatt chopping at one of
three trees that grew very near to.
yether
Good morning, Mr. Moffatt / see
You have used one of your trees and
ire getting another ready"
Vas, we Moffatts air goin mighty {
.ast, but not so fast as the Buckleys.
We gained two Oh 'em Yesterday"
How long do you think 1t viii re-
luire YOU to eXtermtnate them?'
Dunno, stranger; not afore these
ere trees air used up"
How did the quarrel originator
"Waal, that's purity long ago. | don't
pear TO remember Just now. but |
eckon a MOl'att and a Buckley had a A
ow about the line between their
arms and the MoGfatt shot the Buck
ey or tine Buckley shot the Modatt.
ont pear 70 know which"
Il suppose if / come back here IN
mother year I'll find you cutting down
he last tree|'
Reckon so"
NO chance of n truce. / supposef"
- WHAT"
a buryins OF the Ratchet. as the In
lans say, or the rifle as IT is in your p
eud"
Wouldn't trust a Buckley If he bur n
ID his rife under bed rock He'd Dor
y his ucigabor's aud shoot the first -
Ioffatt he cd find" a,
left the man to finish his io1 aud n
i'd not return 10 the vicinity for five
ears. Naturally | was curious 10
now whether any Of the trees were
SO I made my way to Luke ,
iofatts farm. His house had dilap- =.
lated appearance and was unoccu- Vs
led. After knocking az the door I "
eut 10 where the walnut treos had Va
cen and found not ono rtandin-. II Nc
,e village they told me the fo8d Ind
lded Every MoGatt lad b-c1 kuied -
I'd M the Buckieys except one lloy. ~
o one had settled iH the mace 30 long Nc
, the two Factions were killing e1ch ~
her and as both factions were oblit- ~
'ated the Town and It's surroundings ~
hi deserted looii. and cil this be-