Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1895-09-30
THE SQUATTER's CLAIM.

| around at last, and al noon the grand
influx began The broad wild rairie
was at once dotted with uninterrupted
wagons, all moving to the south
while the tagged and jaded horses
that pulled them were urged at the
point of the lash to the greatest pos
sible speed. Every wagon bore par
ty of poor home seekers. who for
months had waited for this day, and
who now joined in the grand race for
the new land of promise, intent on
getting a claim and home.
One rickety old wagon, hauled by a
span of poor, bony mules, headed off
to the west late in the afternoon, and
for an hour raced straight toward a
small body of timber that lined wa
ter course. 1t was after sunset when
the timber was reached and the mules
picketed, but before it became quite
dark fire had been started and a
scanty supper prepared.
Shortly after dark three horsemen,
heavily armed, rode out of the timber
mile or so below the wagon, and,
stopping, one of them said:
s'Boys, this is the spot [ picked out
for us, and I don't believe you would
find better piece of land if you were
to search the country over. There
are Just six claims here ust enough
for US and the three men who are
coming with the wagon, and SO l guess
we are fixed about right
''Guess we are" replied one Of the
others, elf nobody amt gone and
squatted on the ground"
"There's nobody on the land yet, [
guess. At least don't see any signs
of any camp anywhere"
''There may be some settlers along
tomorrow, though, and if they should
beat our wagon here they'd have the
heels of u.s."
F'May be they would, Sam, and may
be they wouldn't. That would sort of
depend, you know"
"Depend? How?"
FWhy, it would depend on whether
there was more of them than there is
of us. If we were in the majority
reckon we'd be pretty apt to make
our claim good. If it should come to
shooting, reckon we know about as
we'll as the next ones how to finger
pistol"
The others nodded significantly at
this, and the three men rode out a
little farther from the timber. They
had gone but few steps when Jake
came to a short stop, and pointing to
the south, said:
"Boys, see that"
ssWhat is it?'' Sam asked.
"See that light up the creek. What
do you make it out?''
GA city, reckon" replied Sam.
ga freely nothing. Guess they
don't have fire flies down here as big
as hens, and it would take one that
big to make that sort of light.''
''That's so, jake" said Sam thought
fully. "What do you make of it?'
IT make it nothing more nor less
than a squatter, and he's on our land
too, I guess"
eyes, it must be a squatter, and Of
course he's on our land. The blamed
rascal has got cheek for you, sure"
eyes, he's got cheek. But what are
we going to do about him? That's the
question now"
"Well, we've got to rout him out of
there, and we'd as we'll do it now"
eve can't do it any too quick, and
we might as we'll ride over there and
start him off and take possession of
+ne fire. 1t will save us the trouble
OF making one of our own.'
This proposition meeting with un-
animous assent, the three men gall
Ioped off toward the light.
"By jix, boys!" said Jake, as they
drew near to the light, sit might be
good idea to be prepared for business.
That squatter might not take kindly
to US, and like as not he'll open on us
with shotgun. We don't want to do
any shooting if we can help it, but if
we can't help it, we can't, of course"
s"That's So" agreed Sam, "and I ex-
pect we'd better sort of slip up on him
and not let him get any advantage of
us.''
The men dismounted and crept soft
ly forward through the grass, keeping
well in the shadow of the old wagon.
After little while they got quite
close, and stopping to listen, distinct
ly heard low voices in the wagon en-
gagged in earnest conversation. One
of the voices, it was plain, was that of
woman, while the other, weak and
thin, was Enthusiastically that of little