The Bottineau courant. (Bottineau, Bottineau County, N.D.) 1895-1929, 1914-05-01
The Last Shot
In a Feud
b. F. A. Mitchell

A girl about seventeen years old. in
calico dress, sunbonnet and cowhidc
boots, was walking through II wood in
Kentucky Oh her way IT, u spring for
water when. making n short cut in 4
bend In the path, she came upon a
man asleep. He was young. but there
was a hunted look on his face thai
made him look older.
There was 4 fcud Of long standing
between the Griggses and the Backus-
es, and u few days before Abel Griggs
had been shot and killed by Josh Back
us. Since the killing all the Griggses
had been looking for Josh In order to
cut another notch on their rifles to
make up for the latest Backus notch.
said notches denoting the number
killed.
The girl was Mahulda Griggs. and
she looked down on Josh Backus. He
had been driven by a Gordon Of G;riggs'
men. who were closing in on him. Ia
| the wOod near Mahulda's home. He
knew there was no escape for him and
had thrown himself on the grass In
despair. Having been long withoat
food or sleep he had fallen into a
slumber.
He awoke with a start and saw Ma
hulda looking down on him. Zach
knew who the other a though they
had never met before. Josh sat ny
and, handing his gun stock foremost to
Aahulda, said huskily:
you're q Griggs, I reckon. and 1
might Al we'll own up that I'm Josh
Backus Al killed Abel Griggs. I'm
sure to be taken and shot. I'd ruther
be killed BY you than any Of the
Griggs men, and I'll be obleeged b
you II you'll put . bullet into me where
It will kill me quickest"
The girl took the gun.
Reckon ! ort to kill you." she said.
"seein' you killed one O. the best *
- Gnggs people"
Put the ball thar" said the other.
sising to his feet and tapping bis hsart
With bis nnser.
what did 20 hill Abel fo'r'
ITO match the kflifn' Of jim
Backus."
Reckon you'll be killed to match tho
KILN o. Abel, and then another
Griggs ~ he killed 20 match the kiln
o 20"
That's the way Of It. Come. do the
shootin'. Like enough. some oneri
come along"
II don't want 10 kin yo'," said the
girl. bringing the gun to her shoulder.
ITS the best thing 70 kin do TO-
me-"
She aimed at him. then lowered tAe
gun"
II mOught hide yo'."
Backusw
Reckon"
LEI your people would hnd it out
they'd kill yo' TO- dom Of It."
"Sartin."
"Well. what yo' goin' to dor'
Hide yO'. I reckon"
He stepped up to her. took her hand
in his and looked intently into her eyes.
where he saw a struggle between pity
and self sacrifice on the one hand and
revenge and possible death for herself
on the other. And he saw too. the
moment when the decision came.
She Ook of her sunbOnnet and hand
ed It to him. then Invested herself ef
her dress, which she also gave to him
He understood and put them on. When
he was in her outer garments she put
on his wooden shirt. trousers and hat.
"YO' go down the path to the spring"
/ e1D xns SIAsu o~ no -l4sn ~ IN
clearln' what yo' kin zee across. II
yO' don't see nary n go owe ~
yo're in danger ri show myself TN
yo' git cl'ar of EN-"
But they'll shoot yO' 70 me-"
Reckon not. Ell they do they'll have
to hit me-"
"Mayn't ] have a kiss befo' gor'
he asked with n trembling voice.
Reckon"
they parted to go in different direc-
lions, the man taking the bucket, the
girl the gun. When he reached the
spring he filled the bucket, at the same
time casting his eye over the clearing.
He knew that one Of the Gordon Of
Griggses was not far away; but. seeing
no one, he started across. He hadn't
gone far before he heard a voice:
Hello thar! Y0' Mahuldy: Whar
yO' gOin':"
He kept Oh without replying. Pres.
emily he heard the same voice say,
"Mahuldy. ef that's yO', yO' come yers
or I'll shoot at yo'"
Backus kept on without reply. Then
suddenly he saw a sur fash on q ride
barrel, and for a moment he hesitated.
Then came the rifles crack, but no bull
let came neal him. He shuddered, for
he believed that Mahulda had shown
herself and had received the 6re.
Hearing no further sound, he ran to
the wood beyond the clearing.
The Griggses. who had fred suppos-
eddy at Backus and seen him fall, ran
up to him. There lay Mahulda. pale
and bleeding.
Quite likely the bullet that hit her