The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1892-12-14
The CLAIM JUMPER.


THE CLAIM JUMPER.
What's that over thar, Bill 90 asked
Joe Scagys, pointing toward an object
that had made It's appearance on the
prairie mile to the south. Bill BArnum
looked in the direction indicated.
a house, or I'm a ivin liar" ex-
claimed Bill with emphasis. An on
Dick BArber's claim, too - he continued,
with g gesture Of excitement
~Do We s1pPose he's goin ter jump
Dicks claim ?" asked Joe.
4 dunno answered Bill 4 guess
he's not stoppin' out thar fer his health.
II he Is, Pm thinkin' he'll soon 20 way
on the sane arant, won't he, Joe?7
~Yon betr' sanctioned Joe "But the
way ter find out is ter 90 over an see,
aud while We air cOokin' supper II ride
over an interview the stranger"
Vita this he walked from the door Of
the halfboari, halfdugout shan.y, where
the two had been standing, and sp-
preached a snail barbed wire corral
near BY, where he mounted a powerful
esyuse and galloped away across the
stretch Of wind swept prairie that seps-
rated him from the distant shsnty on the
prairie to the south.
A e. r,,,,.,,,saf IL. h-,v-bs bsr, .,
the front of little dugout shanty that
nestled in the side Of bill at the edge
Of 3 small rsvine Just around the
slight elevation in the prairie stood 8
covered wagon, or prairie schoo-er, As
they are familiarly termed In tie west
A pair Of sorrei mules, tied 70 the rear
end Of the wagon, were busiiy engaged
IN eating their evening meal Of corn and
dry grass out Of the wagon box. 4 nan
came ous Of the shsnty with frying pan
II bis hand and held II over FIRE in
front Of the dwelling.
Hello. tha- - exclaimed Joe ang-ily-
What in the blszes ar ye doin' hyar ?"
Tie stranger TUNED and looked at the
visitor = moment, and then said quietly,
~Frying meat
Joes anger rose. ~Oh, ye air, air ye?
waal, IS ye seem ter be so smart, mebbe
ye can tell ne whose claim ye air sqst-
tin On -
Il recon ken hits mine"
Hit isg"
That's the way hit looks ter ne"
Look hyar, stranger said Joe Seaggs
clinching his ist, ~lne an my pardners
over thai" jerking his thumb over MS
shoulder IN the direction Of his own
shAnty, air holdin' this yers claim fer
Dick Barber, who's comm out hysr in
spring from Injiany, an we'll jIst give We
tell ier-morroE to git out o thisr~
~Tziu'i long enough tine said the
strange., deliberately turning over fb-
era sIicecf -muddi1g7 that smoked in
the frying pan.
Hos long 60 ye want?7 Questioned
ice, h!s wrath somewhat molli6ed By the
straager's evident intention OF leaving.
~How long does man have ter hTeon
a claim before he ken a. deed fer hitT
vas the reply Of the stranger.
Five year, replied Joe.
~WAal, then, continued the stranger,
make hit Eve years, ard hits barg'in."
~You impudent skunk- rozred Joe.
noE thoroughly aroused by the strsug-
eris cool manner, fer = cent I'd Eallap
the ground with yer onery carcass
-Tas, re might undertake hit fer
cent, bat ye'd never lay up any money,
AZ hi" vas heansEer Is he set the fry
ing pza down and confronted Joe Seaggs.
joe row moved his hand toward his
pistol, but hesitzted.
~Look hyar,# said the stranger. @You
order me ter leave this claim. Is hit
yO1rn -
~No, not exactly, nine. but we're hold
in hit fsr friend, me an ny psrdner
air. We've got the two lyin' north o
this, an we're holdin' this fer Dick Bar
Der, al we're goin' ter hold hit
All right" he answered, 4 guess bit
won't need much hOldia'. Hit'Il be hJar
when yer friend cOaes-soo viii L If
hits yer claim, III get Of, but yer can't
hold ak fer somebody else. know the
l2w.
-Y2s, re nay know the law, ye
don't know our law. We've made a
special az fer sch feile-s as ye, an were
goin' ter 90 by thai, and don't ys forzit
hiE7
"Wan, when We force ne ter 20, III
go-not before"
Angry words rose to JOe's lips, buE he
hesitz;esi- The cool, indifferent manner
Of the claim jumper puzzled him
He Ezs about 70 speak when the tramp
Of horses feet sounded in the grass be-
hind him and Bill B.rnnn rode up,
Winchester rise sEang across hi saddle.
~Tho1ght msbbe ye'd have trouble
be explained, and that I'd come over
an see ye OUT
~BEl, said Joe, gzininz courage ct the
arrival Of re-enforeemenis, ~he says he
hzin't a-goin' ter leave"
Won't he77 Bal answered, bringing
his Winchester down on the stranger
-NoE, ye lad Gp yer trzps an git
~AH righhv be answered doggediy.
You've gOttasr advantage O. me- III
20, bG. I'll git even with re some time,
see if / don't" and he began tanbling
ms ef-c.s together
Bill and Joe watched him while he
piled his traps into the wagon.
stranger" said Bill we don't want
ter be hard on yer, an We don't mind
pzyin' ye fer yer little shzniy, seein' as
ye can't take bit along"
-So. hit amt worth nothin,- vas the
answer Il don't mind gisin' good
neighboT little thing Ike that
rS-rf -