Five Mile Beach weekly journal., 1906-10-10
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time an order for some walnut. | was
told that a man of the name of Mof-
fatt had been selling off walnut
grove but whether he had any left my
/ informant could not say. | went to
| find Moffatt and, reaching the crest Of
low hill, saw a man In front of
little farmhouse sitting on the top
rail of fence, whiting.
"Can you tell me where | can find
Moffatt7" 1 queried.
He cast a glance at me out of the
corner of his nearest eye and asked:
(Which Moffatt"
~ think they said his name was
Luke"
what yo' want with Luke Moffatt
without yer gunT
Gun? l have no use for gun.
understand he has some walnut tim
Der. want to buy some"
"Then yo be MT the new Buckley
that's come yere latelyY
| Buckley? No, my name is War
field"
"Waal" he said as though he still be-
lieved that / was a Buckley hunting
"How do you knowE
81 reckon | ought to know, seem as
Pm Luke Moffatt himself
"Oh, why didn't you say so Mt flrstP
"Didn't have my gun with Ne"
"I'm sorry you haven't the timber. 1
would have paid you good price for
it."
81 only got four trees left and I 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.'
"Ohw exclaimed. That's what you
are keeping them for. Don't you think
one tree will be enough"
mo; there's sixty OF us Moffatts, and
we can't expect to exterminate the
Buckleys without big loss"
"Why do you wish to exterminate
them?"
The man looked at 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 l said,
Good morning"-the salutation he
seemed to consider superintendent
left him.
A year later, being In the same neigh
borhood, had curiosity to see wheth-
er the four trees were still standing.
walked to Moffatts 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 a 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 fo' our side"
HIN! May go out and see himT
'Waal, seein' yo' haln't got no gun, l
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 Moffatts air goin' mighty
fast, but not so fast as the Buckleys.
We gained two on 'em Yesterday"
''How long do you think 1t will re-
qulre you to exterminate themT
"Dunno, stranger; not afore these
yere trees air used up'
"How did the quarrel originator
"Waal, that's purity long ago. I don't
pear to remember just now, but
reckon Moffatt and Buckley had
row about the line between their
farms, and the Moffatt shot the Buck
ley or the Buckley shot the Moffatt,
don't pear to know which"
II suppose If l come back here In
another year I'll find you cutting down
the last treeT
Reckon so.'
mo chance of a truce, 1 supposeT
"a what?
"a burying of the hatchet, as the In
dams say, or the rifle, as it is in your
feud."
wouldn't trust Buckley If he bur-
led his rifle under bed rock. He'd bor-
ry his neighbor's and shoot the first
Moffatt he cid find"
l left the man to finish his job and
did not return to the Vicinity for five
years. Naturally l was curious to
know whether any of the trees were
standing, so l made my way to Luke
Moffatt's farm. His house had a dilap-
idated appearance and was unoccu-
pied. After knocking at the door