Cochise review., 1900-10-27
5 TUCKER AND ROSE :
By Chas. E. BrimblecOrn.
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THE deputy assessor snapped the

TIT ueputS dsSesSoI snapped tne elastic band around his bulky book after Guly setting forth therein [ ho pos sessions of Tucker & Rose: Real es- tate s. e. A section IS, township 8 south range 3 west, etc; S3 acres or chard. l2 acres pasture and hay land 65 acres timber land"
 Well. you ain't a-goin' before dim ner, so jest set right down here said Ezra Tucker, gena!ly, and the tired of- fcial cid not hesitate to accept seat on the cool veranda beside his host.
 "You've lived here long time" said the deputy.
 ''Twenty-seven years this spring" re- piled Tucker. Made some little changes in that time, too. Mighty nigh this whole claim was thick woods when l fust seen it.
 Twas u curious thing. too. I'll tell you how twas. You see. 1 kinder got a notion that il would be a good idea to take up sCme gov'ment land. so 1 rode up here from santa Cruz, l6 mile, over q pesky bad grail, and my friends. he traWfords, over here on the San Loren 70, they showed me this quarter-sec- tion.
 There was d little shack of a cabin feller who used to hunt and trap for Twin, but he never pre-empted the land, and at hat ime he'd gone to Arizona. S.5 c,'. ap the ranch, without any idee of tr, uLle, and then went back to santa Cruz to git some things, cause cordin' 10 la;N you had to live on your claim six mchths before you could prove mp.
 "LGt the next time l come up. Nal coini Crawford he told me that he'd hearG there was another feller pros rectin, round my ranch. He'd been up there himself with his gun To inquire about it. but didn't see nobody: but he said l'd better git up, there as quick as he Lord would let me and hold down the claim.
 ''l left my horse at Crawford's. 'canse there want much feed in the woods, and made up pack of flour. bacon. cof- fee and sugar, and Malcolm lent me a shotgun that he said might come in handy. On the way up fired both bar res of the gun at some quail, and tken ] found that I'd forgot to bring any am. munition.
 Everything was still as death, sX. cept the crickets chirpin' with lone some sound. and put the things in the cabin. There was little fireplace built of mud and sticks in one end, with chimney of split boards, and 1 built ffeto git bite of supper.
 As 1 was standin in the doorway lin kinder doletui l see man with a pack on his back comin' up the trail. He was stout, and his face was pretty rcd and when he see me it got quite Lit reGGer He come up puffin' and seemed put out bout something, and jest tAen it come into my head that mebbe he was the other feller. What you doin' in that cabin che says. real cross
 My residence at present, says l. Wont you come in?'
 :" None O your blarsted sarce wi me, he says. This ere is my claim, and l want you to git off it directly
 You're laborin' under slight mis- take: says I. This is my claim; but you needn't be in hurry bout goin'. Stay till mornin', anyway. Darned if I ain't glad of company
 Well, we talked awhile, and he kep' gittin' maGder and madder.
 You've got the advantage of me now, he roars out, but if it want for that bloody gun you've got so andy I'd put you out of my cabin quicker'n a wink
 "'You needn't fret about the gun says. Q'd left it outside leanin' against the cabin.) Why, I fired of both bar rels at some quail down here, and didn't bring mite of ammunition with me.
 "You carn't come it on me, he says, kinder sneerin' You'd like to hentice me to come on and then let me ave it.. wouldn't you?
 Well, take the pesky gun and see for yourself l says, holdin' it out to- ward him.
 "'No, you don't, old smoothly he says, turnin' away,
 "'Come in and have bite of supper, anyhow l says. The waters bilin' and I'll make some coffee in jiffy.
 He grumbled something and went off and campec under n-oak tree lit tie ways off That's the very tree down there by the barn.
 "I'd done my best to be sociable, so l made my coffee and fried some bacon. Some way twas kinder pleasant to see the other feller'S fire, but he looked mighty crusty and didn't have a word more to say.
 After supper l lit d piece of candle and read a newspaper that I'd brought from town, but got sleepy pretty quick and spread my blankets in the bunk l shut the door and put prop agin it-ndt that l was afraid, but 1 jest happened to think that I didn't really know anything about the other