The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1900-09-27
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TUCKER AND ROSE 5
By Chas. E. BrimblecOrn. I
THE deputy assessor snapped the


south, range west, etc.; SO acres or
chard, 12 acres pasture and hay land, 65
acres timber land"
well, you amt a-goin' before din
ner, so jest set right down here" said
Ezra Tucker, genially, and the tired Of
fetal did not hesitate to accept a 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
] fust seen it.
Twas a curious thing, too. I'll tell
you how twas. You see | kinder got a
notion that it would be a good idea to
take up some gov'ment land, so | roce
up here from Santa Cruz, 16 mile, over
pesky bad trail, and my friends, the
Grawfords, over here on the San Loren
20. they showed me this quarter-sec-
ton.
There was a little shack of a cabin
on the place, built by Tom Tutor, a
Teller who used to hunt and trap for a
Twin, but he never pre-empted the land,
and at that time he'd gone to Arizona.
So took up the ranch. without any idee
of trouble, and then went back to Santa
Cruz to git some things. cause 'cordin'
to law you had to live on your claim six
months before you could prove up.
"But the next time l come up, Nal
colin Crawford he told me that he'd
heard there was another Teller pros
pectin' round my ranch. He'd been up
there himself with his gun to inquire
about it, but didn't see nobody: but he
said I'd better git up there as quick as
the Lord would let me and hold down
the claim.
81 left my horse at Crawford's, cause
there want much feed in the woods
and made up pack of -four, bacon, cot
fee and sugar. and Malcolm lent me a
shotgun that he said might come in
handy. On the way up'I fired both bar
rels of the gun at some quail. and then
found that I'd forgot to bring any am
munition.
Everything was still as death. ex-
cept the cricllets chirpin' with a lone
some sound, and put the things in the
cabin. There was little fireplace built
of mud and sticks in one end. with a
chimney of split boards. and | built
fire to git bite of supper.
''As | was standn' in the doorway
feelin' kinder dolefu, see man with a
pack on his back comm up the trail
He was stout and his face was pretty
red, and when he see me it got quite
bit redder. He come up putin and
seemed put out bout something, adj
jest then il come into my head that
mebbe he was the other Teller.
"'What you doin' in that cabin?" he
says. real cross.
my residence at present, says l.
wont you come in?'
"'None O. your blarsted SARGE wi me-
he says. This ere is my claim. and I
want you to git off it directly
you're laborin' under slight mis-
take says l. This is my claim; but
you needn't be in hurry bout gon'
Stay till mornin', anyway. Darned if /
amt glad of company
"Well. we talked awhile and he KEEP
'gittin' madden and madden.
"'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
wink
"'You needn't fret about the gun,
says. I'D left it outside leanin' against
the cabin.) Why, fired off both bar
rels at some quail down here. and |
didn't bring a 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 your
"'Well, take the pesky gun and see
for yourself | says, holdin' it out to-
ward him.
"'No, you don't, old smoothly he
says, turnin' away.
"'Come in and have a bite of supper.
anyhow | says. The waters bilin'
and I'll make some coffee in a jiffy'
''He grumbled something and went
off and camped under an 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 |
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 word
more TO say.
"After supper lit a 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--not that / was afraid, but |
jest happened TO think that | didn't
really know anything about the other
Teller.
81 was off to sleep in a minute, and
the next thing I knew was seem big
glare of light and feelin' things gettin'
pesky hot. | jumped up, and Lord! if
the whole end of the cabin want in a
blazei
"'Gosh all hemlock!' | says. 'Be's a
bad man, and is tryin' to burn me up.
sure as the devils an Injun
But just then / heard an awful ham