Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1914-04-22
The Last Shot
In a Feud
By F. A. Mitchell

water when, making 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 Griggses and the Backus.
es, and a 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 MahuIda GriggS. and
she looked down on Josh Backus. He
had been driven by a Gordon Of Griggs'
men, who We're closing in on him, to
the wood near Mahulda'ss 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
slumber.
He aWoke with a 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 a Griggs, / reckon. and l
might as well own up that I'm Josh
tBackus as killed Abel Griggs. I'm
sure to be taken and shot. I'd ruther
l. hon Of n
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 l ort to kill YOU she said,
"seein' you killed one O. the best Of
us Griggs people"
''Put the ball thar" said the other,
rising to his feet and tapping his heart
with his finger.
what did yo' kill Abel fog
"To 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'."
1utlL = GL1c way VI H. NOIuS w IIlG
shootin'. Like enough, some one'll
come along"
Il don't want to kill yo'," said the
girl, bringing the gun to her shoulder.
ITS the best thing yo' kin do 70
me-
She aimed at him. then lowered tbs
gun
"T mOUght hide yO'"
Hide me! You, Griggs, hide 6
Backusv
Reckon"
EFF your people would find it out
they'd kill yo' TO dom of it,
''Sartin."
''Well, what yo' goin' to do?'
F'Hide yo', l reckon"
He stepped up to her, took her hanG
in his and looked intently into her eyes
where he saw struggle between pity
and self sacrifice on the one hand anG
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 to him, then Invested herself OF
her dress, which she also gave to him
He understood and put them on. Wher
he was in her outer garments she pu1
on his wooden shirt, trousers and hat.
"Yo' go down the path to the spring,
she said. ITS on the edge O. thu
clearin' what yo' kin see across. Ri
yo' don't see nary one go over. E.
yo're in danger I'll show myself til
yO' git clar of 'em."
"But they'll shoot yo' TO me''
Reckon not Eff they do they'll hav,
to hit me-"
''Mayn't l have a kiss befo' l go?'
he asked with trembling voice.
Reckon
She received the kiss passively; the1
they parted to go in different direc
tons, the man taking the bucket, tn
girl the gun. When he reached tn
spring he filled the bucket, at the sam
time casting his eye over the clearing
He knew that one of the Gordon o
Griggses was not far away; but, seem
no one, he started across He hadn
gone far before he heard voice:
"Hello thar. Yo' Mahuldy. VIVA
yo' goin'?"
He kept on without replying. Pre-:
emily he heard the same voice say
'Mahuldy, eff that's yo', yo' come yer
or I'll shoot at yO'!'
Backus kept on without reply. The
suddenly he saw sun fash on riff
barrel, and for a moment he hesitate'
Then came the rifles crack, but no bu
let came near him. He shuddered, fl
he believed that Mahulda had show
herself and had received the fir
Hearing no further sound, he ran
the wood beyond the clearing.
The Griggses. who had fired suppo
eddy at Backus and seen him fall, "a
up to him. There lay Mahulda, pa
and bleeding.
Quite likely the bullet that hit h.
saved her life. Her own people cou
not kill her, and the sacrifice she ha
made filed their hearts with cOmpa
sion. When she recovered a meetir