Abilene weekly reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1888-1935, 1889-02-28
THE "CLAIM-JUMPER."
How He Got Even with the Two
"Pardners.

"What's that over thar, Bill7' asked Joe
Scaggs, pointing towards an object that had
made its appearance on the prairie, a mile
to the south. Bill Barnum looked in the di-
rection indicated
'A house, or I'm a livin' liarw exclaimed
Bill, with emphasis. "An' on Dick Barber's
claim, too"' he continued, with gcssure OF
excitement.
"Do ye suppose he's goin' ter jump Dicks
claiml" asked Joe.
81 dunno" answered Bill 81 guess he's
not stoppin' out thar fer his health If he
is, Pm thinkin' he'll soon go way on the
same arrant, won't he Joe!"
You bet!" sanctioned Joe. "But the
way ter find out is ter go over an see; an
while We air cookin supper, Pll ride over an
interview the stranger"
With this, he walked from the door of the
half-board, half-dugout shanty, where the
two had been standing and approached a
small barb-wire corral near by, where he
mounted powerful cayuse, and galloped
away across the stretch of wind-swept
prairie that separated him from the distant
shanty on the prairie to the south.
A few moments ride brought MIN to the
front of little dug-out shanty that nestled
small ravine. Just around the slight eeva-
tion in the prairie stood covered wagon.
or 'prairie-schooner," as they are Familiarity
termed in the West
A pair of sorrel mules, tied to the rear
end of the wagon, were busily engaged in
eating their evening meal of corn and dry
grass out of the wagOn-box. A man came
out of the shanty with frying pan in his
hnl fra in Of ~
dwelling.
Hello, tharr' exclaimed Joe, angrily.
"What in the blazes air We doin' hyar.'
The stranger turned and looked at the
visitor moment, and then said, quietly:
'Fryin' meat
JOe's anger rose. 20, We air, airye? Wal,
as ye seem ter be so smart, mebby We ken
tell me whose claim ye air squattin' ona''
Il reckon ken; hits mine"
stH'it isl"
t'That's the way hit looks ter me-"
"Look hyar, strangerr' said Joe Scaggs,
clinching his fist, ''me an my pardner over
thar" jerking his thumb over his shoulder
in the direction of his own shanty, lair
holdin' this yere claim fer Dick Barber,
who's comm out hyar in the spring from
1njiany, an We'll jist give ye tell ter-morrer
ter git out o. thisl''
"'Tain't long enough time" said the
stranger, deliberately turning over a liberal
slice of "muddling" that smoked in the fry
ing-pan.
''How long do We want?" questioned Joe,
his wrath somewhat moliifed by the
strangers evident intention of leaving.
'How long does man have ter live on a
claim before he ken get a deed for h'it!'
WAS the ranlv Of the Stranpar
"Fiye years." replied Joe.
oval then" continued the stranger,
''make hit five years, an hits barg'in."
''You impudent skunkl" roared Joe, now
thoroughly aroused by the strangers cool
manner, ''fer a cent I'd wallup the ground
with yer onery carcass"
''Yas, We might undertake hit fer cent,
but ye'd never lay up any money at hit, {"
was the answer, as he set the frying-pan
down and confronted Joe Scaggs.
Joe now moved his hand towards his
pistol, but hesitated.
Look hyar," said the stranger. "You
order me ter leave this claim. Is hit
yournr
mo. not exactly n,i,ue; bet we're holdin'
hit fer friend, me an my pardner air
We've got the two lynn north o. this, an
we're goin' ter hold h'it''
''Al right" he answered. "I guess hit
won't need much holdin'. Hitll be hyar
when yere friend comes-so will l. If hit
is yere claim, I'll git off; but ye can't hold
hit fer somebody else. know the law"
''Yes, We may know the law, but We don't
know our law. We've made a special law
fer sich fellers as We, an we're goin' ter go
by that, an don't We fergit hit"
''Wal, when We force me ter go, I'll go
not before"
Angry words rose to Joe's lips. but he
hesitated. The cool, Indifferent manner of
the claim-jumper puzzled him.
He was about to speak, when the tramp Of
horses feet sounded in the grass behind
him, and Bill Barnum rode up, a Winchester
rife swung across his saddle.
Thought mebbe ye'd have trouble" he
explained, 'tan' that I'd come over an see
We out"
"Bill," said Joe, gaining courage at the
arrival of reinforcements, she says he
h'ain't -goin' ter leave"
sWon't hem Bill answered. bringing his
Winchester down on the stranger. snow,
We load up yer traps an git"
''All right" he answered, doggedly.
you've got ther advantage me. I'll go,
but I'll git even with ye sometime, see if ]
DON'T" and he began tumbling his effects
together.
Bill and Joe watched him while he piled
his traps into the wagon.
''Stranger," said Bill, s'we don't want te,
be had "a yer, an we don't mind pay1n' ye