Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1906-03-24
DAILY SHORT STORY
A KENTUCKY FEUD.

told that u man of the name of Mof-
fatt had been selling off a walnut
grove, but whether he had any left my
informant could not say. | went to
find AIoffatt and, reaching the crest of
a low hill, saw man in front of a
little farmhouse sitting on the top
rail of a fence, whiting.
Can you tell me where / can find
Moffatt?" / queried.
He cast a glance at me out of the
corner of his nearest eye and asked:
Which Moffatt?"
Il think they said his name was
Luke"
What yo' want with Luke Moffatt
! without yer gum"
| Gun? l have no use for q gun.
understand he has some walnut tim
Der. 1 want to buy some"
Then yo' be MT the new Buckley
that's come yere lately:''
Buckley? No, my name is War
field"
WAL" he said as though he still be-
lieved that l was n Buckley hunting
for MOffatt, "he amt got no walnut.
How do you know"
Il reckon l ought to know, seem as
I'm Luke Moffatt himself"
"Oh, why didn't you say so at first!"
| Didn't have my gun with me-"
I'm sorry you haven't the timber.
would have paid you good price for
it,"
81 only got four tree. left, and 1 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. You don't seem to know
what's up. There's trouble goin on be-
tween us Moffatts and the Buckleys.
When a Buckley gifts killed, they bury
him in a pine coffin. Sich won't do for
us MoffattS. I'm a-keepin' what's left
o. them trees for coffins.''
"Oh!' / exclaimed. That's what you
are keeping them for Don't you think
one tree will be enough"
NO: there's sixty of us AIoffatts, and
we can't expect to eXterminate the
Buckleys without Il big loss
why do you wish TO eXterminate
them?"
The man looked ut me in surprise.
why, yo' tarnal fool. case they want
to eXterminate U.S."
He seemed TO have no patience with
one who was so thick skulled as not to
understand so simple problem with
out explanation, and l concluded TO
leave him to his whiting. So 1 said,
Good morning''-the salutation he
seemed to consider superintendent
left him.
\ year later. being in the same neigh
borhood, L had a curiosity to see wheth-
er the four trees We're still standing.
l walked to Moffatt's house and was
received by Mrs. Moffatt, who told me
that her husband was out chopping
down one of the trees. ''Yo' see, Stran-
GER" she said, there was fight down
at the town Yesterday between us Mof-
fats and the Buckleys. Our men killed
seven Buckleys and they killed five of
our men. My mans goin' to furnish
the collins TO our side"
HIM, May / go out and see him?'
WAL, SEEM yo' hain't got no gun,
reckon you mought co.
l found Moffatt chopping at one of
three trees that grew very near to-
gether
Good morning. Mr.. Moffatt. I see
you have used one of your trees and
are getting another ready"
'Yas, we Noffatts air goin' mighty
fast, but not so fast as the Buckleys.
We gained two on 'em Yesterday"
How long do you think it will re-
Quire you to eXterminate them?'
Dunno, stranger; not afore these
yere trees air used up"
How did the quarrel originator
WAL, that's party long ago. don't
pear to remember just now, but 1
reckon Moffatt and Buckley had a
row about the line between their
farms, and the Moffatt shot the Buck
ley or the Buckley shot the Moffatt, l |
don't pear to know which,
II suppose If 1 come back here in |
another year I'll find you cutting down
the last tree?',
Reckon so.'
mo chance of q truce, I suppoSeT'
"a what?'
"a burying of the Ratchet, as the In |
dams say, or the rife, as it is in your
feud."
Wouldn't trust Buckley if he bur-
leu Ills TiHe uHUer Deu TOck. he DOT
~ his neighbours and shoot the first |
Moffatt he cid find'
1 left the man to finish his job and /
did not return to the vicinity for five /
years. Naturally 1 was curious to /
know whether any of the trees were
so I made my way to Luke
Moffatt's farm. His house had a dilap-
dated appearance and was unoccu-
pied. After knocking at the door | /,
went to where the walnut trees had
been and found not one standing In
The village they told me the feud had
ended. Every Moffatt had been killed
and all the Buckleys except one boy.
No one had settled in the place so long
rs the two factions were killing each
,ther, and as both factions were oblit- I.