Five Mile Beach weekly journal., 1914-06-12
The Last Shot
In a Feud
By F. A TcH

Kentucky on her way to a spring for
water when. making a short cut In a
pend In the path, she came upon q
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 Baekus notch,
said notches denoting the number
killed.
The girl was Mahulda Griggs, and
she looked down on Josh Backus. He
had peer driven by a 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
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, I reckon, and I
might as well 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 a bullet into me where
1t win kill me quickest"
The girl took the gun.
"Reckon / ort to kill you." she said,
sseein' 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.
sssWhat 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 II be killed to match the KILN
O. yo'."
THAT'S the way of it. Come. do the
shootin'. Like enough, some one'E
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 tbs
gun"
81 mought hide yo'."
"Hide me! You, a Griggs. hide a.
Backust'
Reckon"
EFF your people would find it out
they'd kill yo' fo' dom of it."
"Sartin."
"well, what yo' goin' to do?'
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
revenge and possible death for herself
on the other. And he saw, too, the
moment when the decision came.
She took of her sunbonnet and hand
ed 1t to him, then Invested herself Of
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, rousers and hat.
"Yo' go down the path to the spring."
she said. Its on the edge o. the
clearin' what yo' kin see across Eff
yo' don't see nary one go over. Ell
yo're In danger I'll show myself till
yo' git ciar of 'em."
But they'll shoot yo' 70 me"
Reckon not. Eff they do they'll have
to hit me-"
"Mayn't / have a kiss befo' l goY'
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
rome far before he heard a voice:
Hello thar! 70 Mahuldy! Whar
yo' goin'T'
He kept on without replying. Pres
emily be heard the same voice say,
'Mahuldy, eff that's 20, 70 come we're
or I'll shoot at yo'w
Backus kept ON without reply. Then
suddenly he saw a sun fash on a rife
barrel, and for a moment he hesitated.
Then came the rides crack, but no bull
let came near him. He shuddered, for
he believed hat 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-
edly at Backus and seen him fall, raj
up to him. There lay Mahulda, pale
and bleeding.
Quite likely the bullet that hit her
saved her life. Her w people could