The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1914-07-11
The Last Shot
In a Feud
BY F. A. mitchell


man asleep. He was young. but there
was a hunted lock on his race tha'
made him look older.
There was feud of long standing
between the Griggses and the Backus'
es, and few days before Abel Gr1ggs
had been shot and killed by Josh Back
us. Since the killing all the Griggses
had been looking for Josh In order 10
cut another notch on their rifles to
make I'D 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 Gordon of Griggs'
men. who were 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 a
siumber.
He awoke with start and saw Ma
hulda looking down on him. Each
knew who the other was, though they
had never met before. Josh sat up
and, handing his gun stock foremost to
Mahulda, said huskily:
You're Griggs, reckon. and
might as well own up that I'm Josh
Backus as killed Abel Griggs I'm
sure to be taken and shot. Ia ruther
be killed by you than any OF the
Griggs men, and I'll be obleeged to
you If you'll put a bullet into me where
1t will kill me quickest"
The girl took the gun.
"Reckon ort to kill you" she said.
"seein' you killed one O. the best of
us Griggs people,
'sPut the ball thar" said the other,
rising to his feet and tapping his heart
with his finger.
what did 20 kill Abel fo'f"
ITO match the KILN of Jim
Backus."
Reckon you'll be killed to match the
KILN o. Abel, and then another
Griggs II be killed to match the KILN
o. yo."
"That's the way of It, Come, do the
shootin. Like enough, some oneli
come along"
II don't want to kill yo'." said the
girl. bringing the gun to her shoulder.
ITS the best thing yo' kin do TO
me-"
She aimed at him. then lowered the
gun"
II mought hide yo'."
Hide me! You, a Griggs, hide a
Backusr'
Reckon"
EFF your people would find it out
they'd kill yo' TO- dom Of it,
"Sartin.n
'Well, what 20 goin' to do?'
"Hide yo', reckon"
He stepped up to her, took her hand
fin his and looked intently into her eyes,
where he saw 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 took off her sunbonnet and hand
ed it 10 him, then Invested herself of
her dress, which she also gave to him.
He understood and put them on. When
be was In her outer garments she put
on his wooden shirt, trousers and hat.
'sYo' 60 down the path to the spring"
she said. "It's on the edge o. the
clearin' what 20 kin see across. Ef
y0 don't see nary one go over. Ef
yore in danger I'll show myself till
yo' git cpar Of 'em."
But they'll shoot yo' 70 me"
Reckon not. Ell they do they'll have
to hit me-"
"Mayn't have kiss befo' | go?"
he asked with a trembling voice.
Reckon"
She received the kiss passively; then
they parted to go in different direc-
lions, the man taking the bucket, the
girl the gun. When he reached the
spring he filed 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 be heard voice:
"HelIo thar! 70 Mahuldy! Whar
20 goin'7"
He kept on without replying. Pres
emily he heard the same voice say,
"Mshuldy, ef that's yo', 20 come we're
or I'll shoot at yo'r'
packus kant on uitho,it renlv Then
suddenly he saw a sun fash on rife
barrel, and for moment he hesitated.
Then came the rifles crack. but no bull
let came near him. He shuddered, for
he believed that Mahulda had shown
herself and had received the fire.
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
saved her life. Her own people could 1
not kill her, and the sacrifice she had 1
made filed their hearts with compass |
zion. When she recovered a meeting
was called among the Griggses. and |
Mahulda was sent TO the Backuses ]
with a proposition to end the feud. |
There she met Abel Backus. who had I
little difficulty in persuading his PEG
pie 70 agree 20 drop the killing.
Some months later a mingling OF I
0riggses and Backuses celebrated the