The Meeker herald. [volume] (Meeker, Colo.) 1885-current, 1901-03-23

On the place. built by Tom Tutor. u
Teller who used to hunt and trap for a
Twin. but he never prc-empted he land.
end at that time he'd gone TO Arizona.
30 took up the ranch, wit hout any idce
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 ! ccme 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 it. but didn't see nobody; but he
said I'd better git up there as quick us
the Lord would let me and hold down
the claim.
~ left my horse at Crawford's. cause
there want much feed In the woods.
and made up pack Of -four. bacon, cof-
fee md suga-. and Malcolm lent nae q
shotgun that he said might come in
handy. On the way up fired both bar
4 Sels of the gun at some quail. and then
found that I'd forgot to bring any am-
munition. =. I.
!, Everything wns still NJ denth. ex.
feeps 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 a
fire TO git bite Of supper.
AS was standin' in the doorway
fcelin' kinder doleful. I see a man with a
pack on his hack comin' up the trail
He was stout and his face was pretty
red, and when he see me it got quite n
bit redGer. He come up putin and
seemed put ont bout something. and
Jest then II come into my head that
mebba he was the other fcller.
what you Goin' in that cabin 2" he
says. real cross.
"'My residence nt present. says !.
Won't you come in?'
"'None o your b!arsted sarce wi me,
he says. This ere Is my claim. and
want you TO git off II directly
YOU'RE laborin' under a slight mis-
take says l. This is my claim; but
You nrrdn't he in hurry bout goin'.
Stay till mornin'. anyway. Darned If
amt glad of company
well. we talked awhile. and he KEEP
gittin' maGder and madder.
"'Iou've got the advantage of me
now he roars. ont. but II It want for
tha. bloody gun you'te got so andy I'd
Put you out of my cabin quicker'n a
wink
"'You needn't fret about the gum
says. I'D leftit outside leanin' aguinst
the cabin.) Why. l fired OH both bar
rels at some quail down here, and l
didn't bring mite Of ammunition
with me
lyon earn't come IL on me- he says,
kindeS SSeEiR; So You'd 4 s,s.5 like e heatiee
wouldn't your
".weii. take the pesky gun and see
for yourself says. holdin' it out to-
ward him.
emo. you don't. old smoothly he
says. turnin' away.
".Come in and have bite Of supper.
anyhow says. The waters bilin'
and Pll make some coffee in jiffy.'
He grumbled something and went
of and campcd under an oak tree 1T
tie ways. off. That's the very tree down
there by the barn.
I'D done my best TO be sociable, 30
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 q 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 prop
agin it-not that ] was afraid. but I
Jest happened to think that l didn't
really know anything about the other
feller.
II 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! If
blaze!
"'Gosh all hemock!" says '.He's
bad man. and is tryin' to burn me up,
sure as the devils an Injun.'
"But just then heard an awful ham
merin' at the door and the other feller
hollerin':
"'Git up. you blarsted fool! Do you
want to be cooked alive? Turn out,
and be darned to you.'
."Then jedged that the Rre had
caught in the old dry chimney. !
bounced up and grabbed the coffee pot
and threw the grounds ON the confia-
grafton. but it didn't DO mite O. good,
70 kicked away the prop and ran out,
kinder xnged. picked up a long stick
and began to knock off the boards III al
was afire. but the idiot that built the
cabin had nailed 'em from the inside,
and when ! knocked 'em eff they all
tumbled inside, of course, and had to
rur. in ard drag ',m out. and burnt
my hands pretty bad. The other fellcr
had been s.anAin' OF, laughin' kinder
sarcastic.
"'Much obleeged to you for wakin