Yancey Goree's love of gambling had cost him all of his inheritance and he sold the home of his forefathers to Pike Garvey to get more cash. Goree then lost the proceeds at poker. Pike Garvey's ambitious wife said, "we must now get a feud if we want to be real society folks." Pike Garvey then offered to buy the feud between Abner Coltrane and Goree. Goree consented and the most extraordinary sale ever heard of, the selling of a quarrel, was consummated. Carrey's delight was great when he discovered the man whom he had bought the right to kill was Judge Coltrane, the man who had once sent him to the pen for moonshining. Goree quickly lost his money at gambling. Coltrane found him the next morning, mentally befuddled and entirely unaware of the events of the day before. The colonel had come to call a truce to their feud and to offer him a home. Goree consented. Later in the day they were riding up the mountain to Coltrane's home. Pike was looking through the trees. Goree persuaded the colonel to change clothes with him on the pretext that he wanted to look well when he passed his old home. He received the bullet meant for the colonel.