The silver messenger. (Challis, Idaho) 1890-1912, 1901-02-12
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
z TUCKER AND ROSE )
2 By Chas. z. BrimblecOrn.
vp1p~p1u9r 9r1rS 43r1p9uauar
THE deputy assessor snapped the

elastic band around his bulky book
after duly setting forth therein the pos
sessions Of Tucker d. Rose: Real es-
tate; S. E. u section IS. township 8
south. range 3 west. etc; SO acres or
chard, y acres pasture and hay land. 65
acres timber and"
We'll, you amt a-goin' before din
ner, SO jest set right down here" said
Ezra Tucker. genially, and the tired Of
ficial did not hesitate to accept a seat
on the cool yeranda beside his host.
You've lived here long tine" said
the deputy.
'Fwenty-seyen 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 curious thing. too. III tell
you how twas. You see, kinder got a
notion that il would be a good idea to
take up some gov'ment land, so rode
up here from Santa Cruz. IS mile. over
pesky bat trail. and my friends. the
Crawfords. over here on the San Loren
20. they showed me this quarter-sec-
ton.
There was little shack Of a cabin
on the place. built by Tom Tutor. a
fe.ier 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 | come up. Nal
colin Crawford he tod me that he'd
heard there was another Teller pros
pectin round NY 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.
Il left my horse at CrawforG'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
handy. On the way up fired both bar
rels of the gun at some quail. and then
found that I'd forgot &c bring any am
munition
Everything was still as death. tx
cept the crickets chirpin' with lone
some sound. ard put the things in the
cabin. There ives little fireplace built
of mud and sticks in one end. with a
chimney OF shit boards. and built a
fire to git a bite Of supper.
AS | was stanGin' in the doorway
feelin' kinder doiefui. see man with n
pack on his hack comm up the trail.
He was stout and his face was pretty
red. and when lie see me it got quite a
bit redder. He come Up putin and
seemed put out bout something. and
Jest then it come into nv head that
mebbe be was the other Teller.
what YOU doin' in that cabin?'' he
says. real cross.
my residence at present. says l.
Won't you come in?'
"'None o. your biarsted SARGE wi me.
he says. This ere is my claim, and
want you to git off it directly
YOU'RE laborin' under a slight mis-
take. says l. This is my claim; but
you needn't be in hurry bout goin'
Stay till mornin'. anyway. Darned if ]
amt glad OF company
well. we talked awhile, and he KEEP
gittin' madder 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 euicker'n a
wink
"'You needn't fret about the gun
says. I'D left it outside leanin' against
the cabin.) Why. l 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 hentic'
me to come on and then let me ave it
wouldn't you?'
well. take the pesky gun and SCI
for YOURSELF says, holdin' it out to
ward him.
"'No, you don't. old smoothly hi
says. turnin' away.
"'Come in and have a bite of supper
anyhow l says. The waters bilin
and I'll make some coffee in jiffy.'
HE grumbled something and wen
off and campe6 under an oak tree lit
tie ways off. That's the very tree dow
there by the barn.
I'D done my best to be sociabie. 50
made my coffee and fried some bacor
Some way twas kinder pleasant to Sc
the other feller's fire. but he locke
mighty crusty and didn't have wor
more TO say.
after supper I lit piece of candl
and read a newspaper that Fd brough
from town. but l got sleepy prett
quick and spread my blankets in til
bunk. / shut the door and put pro
agin it-not that ! was afraid but
Jest happened TO think that l didn
really know anything about the otht
Teller.
II was off TO sleep in a minute, an
the next thing | knew was seein' bi
glare of light and feelin' things gettil
pesky hot. jumped up. and. Lordl
the whole end of the cabin want in
blazei