The Kendrick gazette. [volume] (Kendrick, Idaho) 1892-1968, 1914-04-03
The Last Shot
In a Feud
By F. A. Mitchell

Kentucky on her way to spring TOT
water when. making a short cut in
bend in the path, she came upon a
man asleep. He was young. but there
was a hunted look on his face that
made him look older
There was a feud of long standing
between the Grggses and the Backus-
es, and 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. lie
had been driven by a Gordon Of Griggs'
men, who We're closing in on him, to
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 without
food or sleep he had fallen into
slumber.
He awoke with a start and saw Ma
hulda looking down on him. Each
Ahew who the other was, though they
had never met before. Josh sat up
and, handing his gun stock foremost 10
Mahulda, said huskily:
you're Griggs. reckon. and l
might as we'll own up that I'm Josh
Backus as 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 to
you if you'll put bullet into me where
it will kill me quickest"
The girl took the gun.
"Reckon 1 ort to kill you" she said.
"seein you killed one O. the best OF
us Griggs people" d.
"Put the ball thar" said the other,
rising to his feet and tapping his heart
with his finger.
what did yo' kill Abel fo'?"
ITO match the KILN of Jim
Backus."
Reckon you'll be killed to match the
KILN O. Abel, and then another
! Griggs III be killed to match the KILN
o'yo'."
"That's the way of it. Come, do the
shootin'. Like enough, some one'll
come along"
81 don't want to kill yo'," said the
girl. bringing the gun to her shoulder.
'Tt's the best thing yo' kin do TO
me-"
She aimed at him. then lowered the
gun"
81 mought hide yo'."
"Hide me! You, Griggs. hide &
Backus"'
Reckon"
4 EFF your people would find it ou
they'd kill yo' TO- dom Of it."
"Sartin."
L "Well, what yo' goin' to do?
"Hide yo'. l reckon"
= He stepped up to her, took her hant
in his and looked intently into her eyes
where he saw struggle between pit.
and self sacrifice on the one hand ant
revenge and possible death for hersel
on the other. And he saw, too, tn
moment when the decision came.
She took off her sunbonnet and hand
ed it to him, then Invested herself o
her dress. which she also gave to hin
he was in her outer garments she pu
on his wooden shirt. trousers and hat.
"Yo' go down the path to the spring,
she said. ITS on the edge O. til
clearin' what yo' kin see across. L
\ yo' don't see nary one go over.
yo're in danger I'll show myself tt
yo' git cl'ar of 'em."
"But they'll shoot yO' TO me-"
Reckon not Eff they do they'll hay
to hit me-"
"Mayn't l have a kiss befo' / go
he asked with trembling voice.
.""Reckon." ----
She received the kiss passively; thu
they parted to go in different dire
tons, the man taking the bucket, Il
girl the gun. When he reached t
spring he filed the bucket. at the san
time casting his eye over the clearin
He knew that one of the Gordon
Griggses was not far away; but, seeil
no one, he started across. He hadl
gone far before he heard voice:
Hello thar! Yo' Mahuldy! VIII
yo' goin'?"
He kept on without replying. Pr
emily he heard the same voice So
"Mahuldy, eff that's yo'. yo' come "
or I'll shoot at yo'!
Backus kept on without reply. In
suddenly he saw sun fash on n
barrel, and for a moment he hesitate
. Then came the rifles crack. but no b
let came near him. He shuddered.
he believed that Mahulda had sho'
herself and had received the
Hearing no further sound, he ran
the wood beyond the clearing.
u The Griggses. who had fired supp
eddy at Backus and seen him fall,
up to him. There lay. Mahulda,
and bleeding.
Quite likely the bullet that hit
saved her life. Her own people CO
not kill her. and the sacrifice she
made filled their hearts with comp
sion. When she recovered meet