The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1908-05-10

Two men rode down a stony gorge
In the Kentucky mountains one soft
night in summer. They rode knee to
knee. stirrup to stirrup, silently. The
moonlight fell brokenly through the
trees and vines and bushes. The men
were far past middle life. The beard
of one was gray and the beard of the
other was white, but they rode sturdi-
ly and upright. Upon the crupper of
the horse on the right a little girl was
seated astride, with her arms around
the man as far as they would 60. The
men were thoroughly a part of the wild
scenery which surrounded and envei-
0ped them. Their clothing was of the
fOarsest kind; the uneaTthly glamour
of the WitCh-light falling over them
could not hide their unkempt appear
ance-their obvious Scorn of personal
seeming. But the horses were sleek
and in good trim. Down the gorge.
through the moonlight. rode the queer
pair, stirrup to stiTTup, never speaking.
For more years than a person Of that
region could vouChsafe with any de-
gree of accuracy there had been trou-
bic, deep and deadly, on CrOwfoot.
CrowfOOt was a trifurcated spur of the
Cumberlands. and from one end to the
other the ground was hostile. The
Skidmores lived on the point further
east and the BuCkleyS lived on the
point further west, and the intervening
point of the spur-COmpleting CrowfOot
was without occupants. Wild Bill
Skidmore was the head of his clan,
and Long Jake Buckley was tire head
OF his. They had il from tkeir fathers,
and their fathers from their grand
fathers, that years ago a SHidmore had
WrOnged a Buckley. or vice versa, aC-
c1rding to who was telling the tale,
AND that constant and continued blood
shed was the only means Of redress.
1t was the blacklist treason for man
of one house to look upon girl of the
opposite clan with any feeling save
that of disgust and hatred, and il was
equal heresy for a girl to accept atten-
tions from an enemy TO her blood. But
all such mundane arrangements Fate
laughs TO scOTn in her own good tine,
and so il came about THAI after years
and years of open warfare a Skidmore
loved a Buckley. He was a hard
headed, hardfsted fellow, young Pete
Skidmore.
And Rosie Buckley was like wild
flower of her native heath. He saw
her first at a dance on Big Goose
creek 1t was a Buckley dance, and a
Skidmore hadn't any business to be
within miles of the place. bu- with
characteristic deviltry Pete had Jared
over the intervening spur to have a
aAook at the festivities. Skulking i'm the
i5hadows at a safe distance, lac watched
the scene, and he saw THAI the life of
it was one buxom. red-Cheeked lass.
with black braided hair and a merry
laugh always on her lips. Before he
left he heard some one call her name,
so he knew who she was. Not many
days later he CHANGED to see her alone,
and his heart warmed with longing. lie
had swung down a raVine early one
morning with a string of squirrels in
his hand and his gun over his Shout
der and so on to the dirt road leading
to the nearest town. Directly before
him was Rosie Buckley, riding by her
self to market. She had uoc seen him,
and he stepped back to the side of the
road. She came jogging IN, singing as
She came. Ten feet away she raised
her head and their eyes met. She
stopped singing, but rode on bravelv.
eyeing him cOldly all the time. When
she was opposite him Pete smiled and
bowed, and when he saw the quick
blood mount up TO her face his heart
exulted After she was gone he stood
a long time without moving, looking at
the trail her horses feet had left in
the dust.
He came up to her in the hurying
Ground of her people a few DAYS later
Ne risked a greeting. flushing as he
i1oke the simple words She barely
nodded, then rode slowly away from
him toward the western spur, whittier
he dared not follow. He lowered about
the spot thereafter. lonely and deSolate
Though it was, and one afternoon she
came again, blithe and happy. Pete.
screened by some bushes, waited until
she had slipped from her horse and had
made her way through the weeds and
graves in the place, then, as she
stopped to place some wild flowers
upon it, he came and stood quite near.
"Evenin'," he said pleasantly.
The girl stood upright and trembled
violently, with a scared look on her
face.
'You-youre a SkidmOre!" she an
swered, but there was more of fright
than repulsion in her voice.
I'm Pete Skidmore. Your names
aosie, amt it? 1 seen yo' at the dance
Dr. Big Goose"
"How-why-"
"Oh. l 'uz arOun'. I come to see
whut 'uz goin' on. I'm not feered Nv
any mani
She looked at him and believed it IL
be true.
\ You. mustn't talk to me-" she fat
Tered; 'Im a Buckley