The silver messenger. (Challis, Idaho) 1890-1912, 1910-05-17

BY Chas. E. Brimblecorn.



sessions of Tucker & Rose: Real es-
tate; S. Z. u section IS, township 8
south, range 3 west, etc; SO acres or
chard, IL acres pasture and hay land, 65
acres timber land"
We'll. you amt a-goin' before din
ner. so jest set right down here" said
Ezra Tucker, genially, anG'the tired Of
fetal did not hesitate to accept seat
on the cool veranda beside his host.
you've lived here a long time" said
the deputy.
"rwenty7seven 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 curious thing. too. I'll tell
you how twas. You see, kinder got a
notion that it would be Il good idea to
take up some gov'ment land, so rode
up here from Santa Cruz, 16 mile, over
pesky bad trail. and my friends, the
Crawfords, over here on the San Loren
20, they showed me this quarter-sec-
ton.
There was a little shack of 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 hat 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.
M
colin Crawford he told me that he'd
heard there was another Teller pros
pectin' round my ranch. He'd been IN
there himself with his gun to inquire
about II. 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.
~ left my horse at Crawford's, cause
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 fred both bar
re's 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 "a 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
fcelin' kinder dolefnl I see man with
pack on his back comm up the trail.
He was stout and his face was pretty
red. and when ne see me it got quite
bit reddsr. He come up putin and
seemed put out bout something. and
jest then it come into my head that
mehbe he was the other Teller
"'What you dpin' in that cabin?" he
says. real cross.
: "'My residence at present. says I.
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 |. This is my claim; but
you needn't be in a hurry bout goin'
Stay till mornin'. anyway. Darned il I
amt glad of company
| wen. WE Nttket dWUlit, anu ne 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 a
wink
lyon needn't fret about the gun "
says. (l'd left it outside leanin' against
the cabin.) why. fired off both bar
Yes at some quail down here. and
didn't bring mite of ammunition
with me-
"'You carn't come it on me- he says.
kinder sneern' You'd like to hentice
me to come on and then let me ave it,
wouldn't you?'
"Well. take the pcsky gun and see
for yourself says, holdin' it out to-
ward him.
mo. you don't, old smoothly he
says. tnrnin' away.
"'Come in and have bite of supper,
anyhow l says. The waters bilin'
and l'l make some coffee in 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 I lit piece Of candle
and read 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 l was afraid but
jest happened to think that l didn't
really know anything about the other
ieller.
Il was of to sleep in a minute, and
the next thing knew was seem big
glare OF light and feelin' things gettin'
pesky hot. jumped up, and, Lord! il
the whole end of the cabin want in a
blaze!
"'Gosh all hemkock!" says Pee a
bad man. and is tryin' to burn me up,
sure as the devils an lnjun.'
But just then heard an awful ham
merin' at the door and the other Teller