The Brookings register. [volume] (Brookings, Brookings County, S.D.) 1903-1971, 1923-01-11

S'N ''Hy - ii'h SdlI
they'd do worse things to me thar
kill me-and I didn't dare take the
risk.
But once or twice | was able TO
get word to old Elmira-the only ally
] had left. She was Of the true breed
Bruce. Youll call her a hag, but
she's n woman to be reckoned with.
She could haze too-wOrse than a
shc-rattlcSnake hates the nan that
Killed her mate-and hating is all
that's kept her alive. You shrink
wheE ] say the word. Maybe you
won't shrink when I'm done.
'"Fhis old woman tried to get in
communication with every stranger
/ that visited the hillS. You see. Bruce.
she couldn't write. herself. And the
n time | managed to get a written
m"Ssag" down To her. telling her to
I give It to the first stranger to mail
one of my enemies got it away from
her. | expected to die that night. |
wasn't going to be alive when the
clan came. The only reason / didn't
WAS because Simon-the greatcst Of
them all and tn" ~ / hate the most
kept his elan from coming. He had
his own reasons.
From then on She had to depend
on word of mouth. But at last-iusI
a few weeks agO-She found a man
that knew you. And it is your story
from now on"
They were still a little while. Bruce
arose and threw more wood on tLp
fire.
ITS only the BEGINNING" he said
"And you want me TO ten Won olI?"
she asked heSitantIy.
"Of course. Why did | ONE hore?"
You won't believe me wien J say
that I'm almost sorry | SeEt for YOU"
She spoke almost breathi"SSly. -
didn't know shat il would be Ike this.
That you would come with a smile on
your face and a light in yoIr ayes,
looking for happiness. And instead
Of happiness-to find all this"
She stretched out her arms to the
forests. Bruce understood her per
fectly. She did not mean the woods
In the literal sense. She meant the
primal emotions that were their spirit.
"TO know the rest. you've got to 90
back n whole generation. Bruce, have
YOU heard of the terrible blood-feuds
that the mountain families sometimes
have?"
"Of course. Many times"
"These mountains of Trails End
have been the scene of as deadly q
blood-feud rs was ever known in the
West. And for once, the wrong was
all on n side.
"a few miles from here there is a
wonderful valley, where a stream
flows. There is not much tillable land
in these mountains, Bruce, but there.
along hat little stream. there are al
most five sectiOns-three thousand
acres-of as rich land as was ever
plowed. That tract Of land was ac-
CURED long ago by a family named
Ross, and they got II through some
kind of grant. I can't be definite as
to the legal aspects of all this story.
They don't matter anyway-only the
results remain.
"These Ross men were frontiersmen
OF the first order. They were v~irtuous
men too-trusting every one and oh .
what strength they had, With their
own hands they cleared away the for
est and put the land into rich pasture
and hay and grain. They raised great
herds Of cattle and had flocks Of sheep
too.
1T was then that dark days began
to ome Another family-headed by
the father of the man I call Simon
migrated here from the mountain dis
tricts of Oklahoma. But they were
not so ignorant as many mountain
people. and they were killers Per
haps that's a word you don't know
Perhaps YOU didn't know it existed. A
men " isn't = hard thing m do OF
all, rrucp. after Won are used to II
These propIn were used IN II And
because tlI,v wanted these great lands
! my own fathers home-tbev hego,
: TO KIN the Rosses
"a, fret thar mazda mo ~.
EoIonrs The Eo,gars Won mrst ppo,-
wora GOOD noon,o too horos+ 30 ha