Rogue River courier. (Grants Pass, Or.) 1886-1927, 1901-01-24
) TUCKER AND ROSE
BY Chas. Z. Brimblecorn.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS


THE deputy assessor snapped the
elastic band around his bulky book
after duly setting forth therein the pos
sessions of Tucker & Rose: "Real es-
tate; 5. e. a section Is. township
south, range 3 west, etc; SO acres or
chard, l2 acres pasture and hay land, G5
acres timber land"
We'll, 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 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 il.
Twas a curious thing, too. I'll tell
you how twas. You see, kinder got
notion that it would be good idea to
take up some gov'ment land so rode
UP here from Santa Cruz, lG mile, ever
a pesky bad trail, and my friends, he
Crawfords, over here on the san Loren
20. they showed me this quarter-sec-
tion.
There was little shack OF a cabin
on the place, built by Tom Tutor, a
feller who used to hunt and trap for
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 | come up, Nal
colin Crawford he told me that he'd
heard there was another fe,ler pros
pectin' round my ranch. He'd been up
there himself with his gun TO inquire
about il, 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, cof-
fee and sugar, and Malcolm lent me a
shotgun that he said might come in
h7nGy. On the way up 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 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 a
chimney of split boards, and built
fire to git bite of supper.
"As was standin' in the doorway
feelin' kinder doleful | see man with
pack on his back comm up the trail
He was stout and his face was pretty
red, and when he see me ii got quite a
bit redder He come up putin and
seemed put out bout something, and
jest then it come into my head that
mebbe he was the other feller
"'What you doin' in that cabn?" he
says, real cross.
my residence at present. says I.
Won't you come imp
"'None o. your blarsted sarce wi me-,
he says. This ere is my claim and
want you to git Off it directly
You're laborin' under slight mis-
t0ke,' says l. This is my claim; but
you needn't be in a hurry bout goin'
Stay till morrin', anyway. Darned i'll
ain't glad Of company
"Well, We talked awhile, and he KEEP
gittin' maGder and madder.
you've got the advantage OF me
now he roars out. but IL it want for
that bloody gun you've got so andy I'd
put you out of my cabin quicker'n a
wink
"'Iou needn't fret about the gum
says Q'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 10 hentice
me to come on and then let me ave IL,
wouldn't you|
"'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 bite Of supper,
anyhow | says. THE waters bilin'
and I'll make some coffee in jffy.'
lie grumbled something and went
off and camped under an oak tree a lit
tie ways on 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 cruSiy and didn't have a 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. shut the door and put a prop
agin it-not that WIS afraid, but /
jest happened TO think that didn't
really know anything about the other
feler.
81 was of TO sleep in a minute, and
the next thing | knew was seein' big
glare Of light and feelin' things gettin'
pesky hot jumped up, and, Lord IL
the whole end of the cabin want In
blaze!
"'Gosh all hemIockl" | says. Hes
bad man, and is tryin' to burn me up,
sure as the dcvil's an Injun.'
"But just then heard an awful ham.
merin at The door and the other feller
hollerin':
"'Git mp. you blarsted fooli Do you
want 10 be cooked aliye2 Turn out,
and be- darned 10 you
Then ! iedged that the fire had
caught in the old dry chiunes. !
bounced up and grabbed the irce pot
and threw the grounds on 'it ranfla-
grafton. but it didn't DO a ir. $50 good.
50 l kicked away the prop and ran out,
The Latest Yarn.
A Pit,sb irg drummer tells =