Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1934-03-01
CHAPTER III


No relatives, outside the immediate
descendants Of the Kershaw and Hens.
ley clans. ever participated In the
feud started by that defective primer,
for 1t was point of homer with both
clans to kill their own snakes" Dur.
Ing three generations eleven Kershaws
and four hired gunner died with their
boots on and two went to states
prison for varying terms. OF the
Hensleys thirteen were killed, with
five gunner.
Neither side ever complained to the
authorities; as they often said they
preferred the good old six-volume law
Only very inquisitive sheriffs invaded
Eden Valley seeking redress for the
outraged law; and of the half-dozen
who did. two. who knew too much.
never returned.
At that, the feud surely must have
died of hamilton at times when the
count on each side was even, but for
the perennial casus belli of water.
Years of lean snowfall In the noun.
tains were years of lean profit for the
Hensleys. Despite this disadvantage,
the Hensleys prospered in the cattle
business to the point where. in the year
1900. they were enabled to nut in
diversion dam of their own in Eden
Valley creek.
In 1917 there remained of the clan
Kershaw its chief. Ranceford Ker.
shaw. a widower of fifty. permanent.
ly crippled by reason of a soft-nosed
bullet through his hip: his son, Owen,
aged twenty. and daughter. Lorraine.
aged sixteen. OF the clan Hensley
there remained three women. Angie
Tichenor, widow. and Hattie and
Beulah Hensley, both old maids.
1t was assumed, locally. that in the
fullness of time Nathan Tichenor and
Owen Kershaw would shoot 1t out to.
gether: hence. with one or both of the
young men out Of the way there
should be peace. at last. in Eden Val.
ley.
But the World war interviewed.
Neither Owen Kershaw nor Nathan
Tichenor waited to be drafted.
War with Germany, it will be re-
membered. was declared on April 6.
1917. In March a furious freshet had
washed out the Hensley diversion dam
In Eden Valley creek. On the morn.
ing of April Z Nathan Tichenor rode
up to the gate in the white paling
fence before the old log ranch-house
of the clan Kershaw, and, like his fire
eating grandfather. help up his hand.
palm outward. in the old frontier sign
OF peace. From the veranda crippled
Rance Kershaw glared down at him.
Our diversion dam went out last
month";" said young Nate.
PLEASED to hear 1t. young man.
Wen?"
I'm going down to San Francisco
tomorrow to enlist"
THAT'S to your credit. II do say
So" Old Rance appeared to thaw
perceptibly. "Still. you're a mite slow
dom your duty. My boy, Owen, left
this morning"
Il wish him luck, Mr.. Kershaw.
What | came for was to ask you II
you'd consider favorably the sugges
ton that one war at a time Is enough
for our people to be engaged in. Our
dams out, and | ask you, as a favor,
to let us have the water after it's done
its work for yon."
"Why should you ask me a favor?
And why should grant it. young
man?"
Because my mother and my aunts
have got to run our outfit while I'm
In the army. didn't figure you'd
make war on women"
"How about the old fence bill. young
man?"
Young Nate laid a check on the gate
post MY grandfather should have
paid that. Mr. Kershaw. 1t was right
low and ornery of him not to. There's
a check for it, with interest for forty
years at 6 per cent added"
Rance Kershaw's not too stable
heart leaped in triumph. keep your
check he ordered harshly, land I'll
keep my water"
Lorraine kershaw came out of the
house. Straight down the little gray.
eled walk sue came to the gate. Nate
Tichenor noticed how straight she
walked; noticed. too that she had
been weeping recently. she was
etrikingly pretty girl; her hair was
jet-black and shiny; her eyes large
and dark and lustrous; her skin a pale
ivory with faint rose radiance seep-
Ing up through 1t.
ITO be continued