The Canton times. (Canton, Miss.) 1893-1906, 1895-01-25

cap to him as he raced past, he was SO
mad that he wouldn't even look that
way.
There were two fine quarter-sections
lying along the bank Of the river be-
tween my claim and that of my neigh
Dor, Hans Larson, big-hearted, big
listed Norwegian with whom often
changed work. Turpit never tired Of
chatting him for changing work with
"that soft-handed dude;" but Hans
only laughed good naturally at the
suggestion that was getting the long
end of the bargain. He could easily do
as much work as two like me.
DOTS all right" he would say.
He'll make dat opp some odder way
sometimes"
Hans and meant to take these two
quarters as homesteads, but we could
not prove up on our presumption before
the breaking season the following
spring, and as settlers came focking
in we began to fear that some one
might get ahead of us. There was no
been quite generally respected, enti-
thing a settler to hold a claim like this,
to which he had no shadow of title.
While claims were plenty, no land
seeker cared to incur the enmity of
his new neighbors by jumping one of
this sort; but when the good land was
mostly taken, settlers became less
scrupulous. Turpit's eldest son, a
beardless youth whom no one believed
to be more than eighteen, filed on the
prospective claim of one of my neigh
bors, making oath before the register
that he was over twenty-one years OF
age in order to do so. A few weeks
later Hans and l saw old man Turpit
tramping over our homesteads We
but he hurried off when he saw us
coming in way that aroused our sus-
picions
went hunting prairie chickens next
day, and came across the Turpit boys
hauling hay. In the course of our
conversation one of them said they
were going out for big hunt in a
week or so. when two of their cousins
came out from Missouri. That made it
pretty plain to Hans and what the
old man had been viewing our intend
ed claims for, and we watched the
stage as it passed our places each aft
ernoon with much anxiety. week
later the stage stopped near Turpit''
place to leave two passengers. Thai
very evening, just at dusk, we saw
Turpit with two young fellows walk
ing along the river, evidently taking
look at our homesteads.
That settled it with US. We coulc
file tree claims at any time and hole
the land in spite of them, and we
meant to start for the land Office, sixty
miles away, the next day for that pur
pose / was to stay at Hans cablr
that night, for his team was heavy ane
slow and we would need to start very
early If we reached the land Office II
time to file our claims. The rumble o.
a passing vehicle startled us as W.
were eating supper, and, hurrying Il
the door, to our CONSERVATION, we saw
Turpit's spring wagon with three mel
in it going at a lively pace toward thu
land Office.
"Shiminy crackyv' gasped Hans
"dey is after dat liant, sure as you're
born't! Dey'll beat us dere, too!'
BEAT us! guess they will!'
echoed in dismay. Your old nag
could not begin to keep up with Iur
pits, let alone overtaking them" ant
we went back to finish our supper il
anything but a contented frame o
mind. There was no use in hitchini
up and starting then, as Hans sug
gested. Turpit's team was as tas
again as ours, and we berated the oil
rascal soundly while we finished GU
meal in gloomy discussion of the sub
iect. Then an idea popped so suddenl.
into my head that l sent half tn
dishes rolling on the floor as spran
IN. slapped the astonished Hans on HI
broad back and danced about his bach
elor cabin.
Got it? guess you hat, and got
bad. too. Wy, you yump rount lik
crazy. What ails you?" said Hans
without waiting to explain clappe
on nv hat and rushed over to m
cabin. Quickly donning my wheelin
costume / stuffed lunch of bread an
beef in my jacket pocket and. mount
ing my wheel, whirled off down tn
stage road. Hans was out to meet m
in front of his place, as l knew h
would be. He fairly screamed wit
delight when he saw me coming.
"Dat bicyclesl Shiminy crackyl me-
fer fought off dat! You hat beat Tul
nit yonce, you can do it again and SAT
your claim yoost like nicer e1
claimed the generous-hearted telio"
.yas and YOURS. tool" | called GU