Colonel Grangerford was a gentleman (a man from a high social class with good manners). He was a very tall and thin man. His face was pale and he shaved every morning. He had thin lips and a high nose. His eyes were black and they were very deep in his head. His hair was black and long.
Every day, Colonel Grangerford wore clean white clothes. On Sundays, he wore a blue coat with gold buttons. He carried a beautiful cane. He was a kind man and people felt safe with him. Sometimes he smiled, and that was good to see. But sometimes he looked very angry, and then people were afraid.
The family was very polite. In the morning, everyone stood up when Colonel Grangerford and his wife entered the room. His sons, Bob Grangerford and Tom Grangerford, were tall and strong. They had broad shoulders and black hair. They also wore white clothes and large hats.
Colonel Grangerford had two daughters. Miss Charlotte was twenty-five years old. She was tall and proud. Miss Sophia was twenty years old. Miss Sophia was very gentle and sweet. The family was very rich. Colonel Grangerford owned many farms and more than one hundred servants.
Some of the children in the family were already dead. Three sons died in a fight. A daughter named Emmeline died from a sickness. Many people visited the house for parties and dances. These people were usually relatives of the family. The men always brought their guns with them.
Another rich family lived near them. Their name was the Shepherdsons. The Shepherdsons were as rich and proud as the Grangerfords. The two families used the same place at the river for their boats. Sometimes, the Grangerfords saw the Shepherdsons on their expensive horses.
One day, Buck Grangerford and I were in the woods. We heard a horse on the road. Buck Grangerford told me to hide in the trees. A young man named Harney Shepherdson rode past us. He looked like a soldier and he had a gun. Suddenly, Buck Grangerford shot his gun at Harney Shepherdson.
The bullet hit Harney Shepherdson’s hat. The hat fell to the ground. Harney Shepherdson picked up his gun and rode toward us. We ran through the woods and did not stop until we reached home. Colonel Grangerford was not angry with Buck Grangerford. He only said that Buck Grangerford should not hide behind a bush.
I asked Buck Grangerford why he shot at the man. Buck Grangerford said it was because of the feud (a long and angry fight between two families). I asked him to explain. Buck Grangerford said a feud (a long and angry fight between two families) starts when one man kills another man. Then, the brothers and cousins kill each other.
This fight started thirty years ago. No one remembers why the fight started. Many people died during these years. Buck Grangerford told me a story about his cousin, Bud Grangerford. A man named Baldy Shepherdson chased Bud Grangerford and shot him. Later, the Grangerfords killed Baldy Shepherdson.
On Sunday, everyone went to church. The men carried their guns and kept them near their seats. The Shepherdsons did the same. The minister talked about love and kindness. Everyone said it was a good talk. But they still hated the other family.
After lunch, everyone was sleepy. Miss Sophia called me to her room. She asked me to go back to the church. She said she forgot her book. I went to the church and found the book. A small piece of paper was inside the book. It said, "Half-past two."
I gave the book to Miss Sophia. She looked at the paper and she was very happy. She hugged me and told me to be quiet. Her face was very red. I did not understand why she was happy. She said the paper was only a bookmark. Then she told me to go outside and play.
Later, a servant named Jack told me to follow him. He said he wanted to show me some water-moccasins (dangerous snakes that live in water). We walked into a swamp (a very wet area of land with many trees and lots of water). Jack told me to look inside some bushes.
I went into the bushes and I found a man. The man was Jim! I was very surprised and happy. Jim cried because he was glad to see me. Jim told me that the servants helped him. They gave him food and a place to hide. The dogs could not find him in the water.
Jim also had a surprise for me. The servants found our old raft (a simple boat made of pieces of wood tied together). The raft (a simple boat made of pieces of wood tied together) was not broken. Jim fixed the boat and bought food. We were ready to leave.
The next morning, the house was very quiet. Jack told me that Miss Sophia ran away in the night. She went to marry Harney Shepherdson. The Grangerford men were very angry. They took their guns and rode to the river. They wanted to kill Harney Shepherdson.
I ran to the river and climbed a tree. I saw Buck Grangerford and his cousin. They were hiding behind some wood near the water. Five men on horses arrived. They started shooting at the two boys. It was a terrible fight. I felt very sick.
The men killed the Grangerford boys. I cried because Buck Grangerford was my friend. I stayed in the tree until it was dark. I did not want to go back to the house. I felt bad because I did not tell the family about the paper in the book.
I found the bodies of the two boys in the water. I covered their faces and then I ran away. I went to the swamp (a very wet area of land with many trees and lots of water) to find Jim. We pushed the raft (a simple boat made of pieces of wood tied together) into the river.
We stayed in the middle of the big river. We felt safe and free again. Jim gave me some food and we talked. I was very happy to leave the fight behind. We said there is no home as good as a raft (a simple boat made of pieces of wood tied together).