We are now in the great vast land of Colorado. We are specifically in this town called Fruita. The McGinnis family is the Krueger’s neighbors. As papa Krueger rode by he spit on their land, “Curse you McGinnis.” The two families had feuded for years now. Legend has it that the feud had started because Papa McGinnis’s great, great, great grandfather supposedly took a horse and a cow from the Krueger’s great, great, great grandfather. Now the families just assume that the legend is true, but the children in this generation have never heard the story, so they do not know why their families do not like each other.

Krueger had two sons whose names are Cameron and Landon, who were friends with Eugene and Herman, McGinnis’s two sons. These boys from both families are twins and they all think they are big tough cowboys. Cameron and Landon are eight years old, and Eugene and Herman are seven-in-a-half years old. They are trying to figure out why there families do not like each other.

One sunny morning, after they had all done their chores, they all met at the mound of dirt behind the McGinnis’s barn in secret.

“Are we all here? We are good. Does any one have any new information about our situation?” asked Eugene.

“We do not have any new information for you. I think our papa had figured out what we are trying to do.” replied Landon.

“All right then. We will meet behind your barn, Landon, in two days.” declared Eugene in a hushed voice.

The boys departed, both going there own ways.

“I do not see why Eugene is making all the calls on when and where we meet.” said Landon. “We are the older ones here.”

“Well, if your had you way, we would be meetin’ in the pig pen,” replied Cameron, “and just because we are the older ones, does not mean we make all the calls in our situation.”

As Landon and Cameron were approaching the house, they noticed that papa was mad, so they quickly got in the house before papa was mad at them. Once inside the house, the boys went off to their room to watch papa out their window. Well, two days later they all showed up behind the Krueger’s barn and they started to see who had any new information. Landon and Cameron really did not have new information other than that there papa was mad with Eugene and Herman’s papa. When Eugene and Herman told Landon and Cameron that they did not have any new information, Landon said, “Who wants to see why my papa is upset. He is headed over to your house right now, Eugene, to have a talkin’ with your papa.”

As the boys split up to go see why papa Krueger was upset with papa McGinnis, they could hear papa Krueger knocking on the McGinnis’s door. Papa McGinnis answered the door and said, “What do you want Krueger?”

“I want to know why I found your footprints on my property yesterday afternoon.” said papa Krueger back very sternly.

“I do not have a clue how my footprints got on your property, when we made an agreement to stay off each others property.” replied papa McGinnis.

“Well, your footprints are on my land,” replied papa Krueger, “I think I know your footprints when I see them.”

“Oh, really! You know when you see a footprint that it is mine. I think you have been spending a little too much time at the saloon, if you know what I am saying.” replied papa McGinnis, sarcastically.

“Yes, I do, as a matter of fact. I know the shape of all my family’s shoes and this does not belong to any of them. Therefore it must belong to you, or one of them boys of yours I have seen around here lately.”

“That reminds me of something too. I have seen your boys over here to often. They have been up to no good every time I seen them over here.”

“Don’t you get my boys into this. This is between you and me, now.”

“You are the one who brought my boys into the conversation. Here, I know a way to solve this argument. I am going to go put a footprint on your property and you can spend all the time you want trying to match it with that footprint that supposedly belongs to me.”

“You ain’t taken one step on my land.”

“All right, won’t, but you best check and make sure that that footprint doesn’t belong to you yourself. I best think it does. Now, get off my property.”

“All right, I am goin’ to get off your land now. But you best meet me on the big hill thirty minutes before sun down. Oh, and you know what to bring with you, right?”

“Yah, I know what to bring. I’ll be there, you can count on it.”

As papa McGinnis went back inside, Eugene and Herman ran up the stairs and watch papa Krueger walk around trying to figure this footprint out from their window.

With an hour till sundown papa Krueger headed out for the big hill. He grabbed his pistol and went on his way. Little did he know Cameron saw him grab his pistol and head out the door.

“Landon, do you know why papa just grabbed his pistol and headed out the door? Do you think he is in trouble? Cameron exclaimed as he pulled his brother into their bedroom.

“No, I don’t. We should follow him and make sure he doesn’t get himself hurt. Come on Cameron, let’s go before we lose him.” Landon replied worried for his papa.

The twins rushed out of the house and followed their papa as quietly as they could so he did not know they were following him.

When papa Krueger got to the top of the big hill, papa McGinnis was already there.

“It’s about time you got here, it’s statin’ to get dark. Let’s get this over with.” Papa McGinnis said as soon as papa Krueger stopped walking.

“Sorry, but I had this bad suspicion someone was following me, so I had to make a couple different turns on me way which took longer than I thought it was going to take me.” replied papa Krueger with suspicion in his voice.”

They both drew their pistols and aimed them at each other. As each of them were taking deep breaths wondering who was going to fire their pistol first, Cameron came running up the crest of the hill. When he saw the pistols aimed at each other he yelled out to his papa, “Papa, Papa. What… What are you doin’? Why are you aiming at Mr. McGinnis, Papa?”

When papa Krueger heard his son’s voice, he hung his head in shame and ran and hugged his son.

“Where is Landon? Is he with you?” papa Krueger said frantically.

“Yes papa. He was right behind me. Where is he?” Cameron replied out of breath.

“McGinnis, I need your help. Me boy Landon is missing.” Papa Krueger yelled out desperately.

Papa McGinnis put his pistol away came running over to help papa Krueger and Cameron find Landon. They started going back from whence Cameron came as quickly as they could.

“I found him. He’s over here. Come quickly, I need your help to get him.” papa McGinnis proclaimed.

As papa Krueger ran over to where McGinnis was kneeling he said quietly under his breath, “ McGinnis found me boy. The man I almost shot found me boy.”

After they had rescued Landon and carried him home, papa Krueger went to go talk to papa McGinnis.

“I just want to thank yah for finding me boy. I’m not sure what I would of done without yah back there. You know what, I think is about time our families started to like each other, because no matter what our great, great, great granddaddies did it don’t matter anymore. I’ve been wrong about you McGinnis. You’re a good man McGinnis, you’re a good man.” Papa Krueger said while tears were rolling down his face.

“I think you’re right Krueger. I believe if were my boy, you would of done the same thing for me. I think it’s about time we get to know each other Krueger.” Papa McGinnis replied while shaking Krueger’s hand.

A couple days passed when papa McGinnis asked papa Krueger about Landon. Landon was doing a lot better, he was still confused about a couple things, but he was good.

“Krueger, I got me one more question to ask you. Did you ever find out whose footprint that was?” papa McGinnis asked right before he entered his house.

“ Yah, I did. It was the milk mans. I’m sorry I accused you.” Papa Krueger apologized. “Have a good day.”

That was the end of there quarreling. The two families from now on to generation and generation to come were just known for their kindness toward each other. They were like family now.

THE END