The McCook tribune. (McCook, Neb.) 1886-1936, 1894-05-04
JIM'S GRATITUDE.

A
A cold. bleak November day; a
prairie trafli a horseman in uniform,
riding At Q gallop.
A turp 10 the road; a bushwhacker
hidden Ia the bushes a shot, and q
fall from the saddle.
It was Little Jim, our third Ser
geant, riding across the country to
carry q dfspat.h b. We called him
Little Jim because he was small Of
stature and because everybody liked
him He was only a boy. and one
look Into hts frank face and big blue
eyes made you his friend The BUSH
whacker peered over the log and saw
bis victim lying on the stony road
and the horse %galloping away In
alright and a smile Of satisfaction
came to his face as he rose up and
hurried through the woods. War is
not always wa. Sometimes it is as
sass lation--murdeE.
Twenty rods beyond the body lying
In the road is a humble cabin, ten
anted only by a woman and
two children War has forced
the husband and father into the
ranks At sound OF the shot and
the CHATTER OF hoofs they rise up from
their frugal MONDAY meal and run
down to the gate. A dead man Is bv
no means a are sight to mother and
children. Scores of dead have been
left on that highway n the last few
weeks, and at times the ca in has
been full Of wounded men who
eroaned and cursed.
tits a Bluenose who's been BUSH
whacked." whispers che mother as
she loads the way down the road, and
presently the trio are locking down
upon the lifeless form OF our Little
jim. NJ, not tifeloss The bullet
struck him in the side and inflicted a
severe wound, but even while they
gaze at him he opens his blue eyes
and tries to realize his sftuat on.
"Looks jest Ike Uncle LAM"
whispers one OF the children.
Let's be good to him." pleads the
other.
She would. Assisted q bit by the
children, she got him to the house
and had Captured a prisoner and a
patient at the same time. Her hus-
band and her neighbors had come
home with gunshot wounds, and she
had helped to nurse them and send
them back to fight tor the cause she
believed was right Aside from a
surgeon our Little Jim could not have
fallen into better hands. She pr0bed
for the bullet and found it. and if
living to-day he ears 1t on his
watchchain. The Eastern volunteers
had been holding that road for
weeks and all that afternoon and
evening the woman listened for the
clatter OF boots that she might re-
pors what had occurred and have her
patient taken away. Not a horse
mar passed.
There were days and nights when
Little Jim was out of his head and
raving OF home and mother. There
were DAYS and nights when his life
hung on a thread He had the are
his own mother would have given
him. Many and many a time he
called her his mother, and blessed
her that she had come down from
the old home to nurse him back to
life By and by the crisis passed and
the soldier knew where ne was and
the situation outside He knew more
than the good woman would have
him. That Little fam Iy vas being
put to sore straits to find him such
food as an Invalid must have and he
heard the Chi. dren cry out at night
because they had not enough covering
to keep them warm Alter a few
days, when he found there was no
chance to get word to the loyal line,
he begged OF the woman do deliver
him up to the rebel authorities and
relieve herself of the burden. She
ind gnantly refused, and the chill
dren. who had ms sted on calling him
Uncle Daniel, cried at the thought
Of his going away
iretty o a new peril threatened.
The neutral territory was given up
to bushwhackers and Indians. One
daY a long haired. evil-looking man,
who-e garb was that u a farmer, and
who was probably the would be assas-
SIN Of Little Jim, was seen lurking
about the premises The woman put
another pillow behind the soldier,
handed him his revolver and quietly
said:
II have your carbine and shall try
to kill him II he persists In entering
the house. II l am killed then you
must take care of yourself"
The Sergeant could hear every word
OF the conversation as the man finally
advanced to the house and the wo-
MAJ stepped outside to meet him.
H-ook yere, woman he began,
sswhO yo' got in yo'r house?"
by what right do you ask that"
she demanded in turn.
"BY the rght everybody has to
l Kill a cussed Canuck wherever he kin