Shoshone journal. [volume] (Shoshone, Idaho) 1884-1931, 1922-09-29

die ground" She smiled grimy.
1--WE lived with death. and I've
heard Of ii. and I've seen il all m,
life. If there hadn't been any Other
way, ! would have seen il in the ORA
mas Of the wild creatures that 20 on
around me all the time. You'll gel
down 10 cases here. Bruce-or else
you'll run away. These men said
they'd do worse things 10 me than
kill me-and | didn't dare take the
risk.
But once or twice | was able to
get word 10 old Elmira-the only ally
| had left. She was of the true breed
Bruce. You'll call her bag, but
she's a woman to be reckoned with.
! She could hate too-worse than a
she-rattlesnake hates the man that
killed her mate-and hating is all
! that's kept her alive. You shrink
when | say the word. Maybe you
won't shrink when I'm done.
This old woman tried to get in
communication with every stranger
that visited the hills You see. Bruce.
she couldn't write, herself. And the
one time | managed to get a written
message down to her. telling her to
give it 10 the first stranger TO mail
one of my enemies got II away from
her. l expected to die that night. |
wasn't going to be alive when the
clan came. The only reason | didn't
was because Simon-the greatest of
them all and the one | hate the most
kept his clan from coming. He had |
his own reasons
From then on she had to depend |
on word of mouth. But ut last-iust |
a few weeks ago-she found man
that knew you. And it is your story
from now on
They were still little while Bruce
arose and threw more wood on the
fire.
IT'S only the beginning" he said.
And you want me to tell you all?"
she asked hesitantly.
'Of course. Why did come here?"
You won't believe me when | say
hat I'm almost sorry sent for YOU"
She spoke almost breathlessly. Il
iidn't know that 1t would be like this.
That you would come with a smile on
'our face and light in your eyes.
ooking for happiness. And instead
# happiness-to find all this %
She stretched out her arms to the
orests. Bruce understood her Der
ectly. She did not mean the woods
n the literal sense. She meant the
rimal emotions that were their spirit
ITO know the rest, you've got to 60
ack whole generation Bruce. have
GU heard of the terrible blood-feuds
hat the mountain families sometimes
ave."
"Of course. Many times"
These mountains of Trails End I
ave been the scene OF as deadly |
Iood-feud as was ever known in the
Test. And for once, the wrong was {
i on one side. t
"A few miles from here there is a !
valley. where stream J
ows. There is not much tillable land G
THESE mountains, Bruce. but there.
long that little stream. there are al c
ost five sections-three thousond Q
,res-of as rich land as was eyer I
lowed. That tract of land was ac- t
Tired long ago by a family named 4
oss, ana they got ii through some n
nd OF grant I can't be definite as t
the legal aspects of all this story. II
hey don't matter anyway-only the z
suits remain. W
These Ross men were. frontiersmen ,
the first order. They were .yirtuous n
en- too-trusting every one. and oh W
nat strength they had, With their
vn hands they cleared away the for X
I and put the land into rich pasture
Id hay and grain. They raised great g
'rds of cattle and had flocks of sheen 4
o. Ii
1T was then that dark days began
come. Another family-headed nv III
e father of the man | call simon IT
grated here from the mountain dis
ctS OF oklahoma. But they were
Il 5" ignorant as many mountain =
ople, and they were killers Per. !"
ps thats word you don't know II
rhaps you didn't know It existed A ~
Ter Is man that has killed other III
N. II isn't a hard thing TO do ot "a
. Bruce, after You are used 70 II Dc
ese people We're used 10 il. And II
cause they wanted these great lands re
my own father's home they began .
KIN the Rosses. de
Al first they made no war On tbe ~
lgers. The Folgers you musi know y, =,
~ good people, too honest 10 the -
Z penny. They were connecfad bv VI
rFiage only, 70 the Ross famiiy.
ey We're on our side clear through "'
The beginning of the feud me head i, J"
the Folger family WAS just young ~
%. newly hurried And he had a III
after d While.
The newcomers called n fand Az
a WASN'T feud-li Nas simply IA.
rder ob. yes. We Killed some of III
u| foser nni my iniher aud all nf.
b