The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1894-05-03
JAKE'S TREASURE.
In His Rough Breast There Was One Ten
der Spot After All.

Tell In with the man everybody knew
as Jake alone, but it didn't take me
half a day to decide that he was the
toughest of the rough lot. l heard
soldiers who had known him for years
declare that the only redeeming trait
he had was his bulldog courage. He'd
drive his six-mule team right through
war party of Cheyennes if ordered to,
and he'd fight any white man living
with any sort of weapon. No COM
pany of soldiers would use as much
profanity in a day as Jake would in a
quarter of an hour. He was cruel to
his mules tyrannical to his compan-
ions, and there was no one to even
wish him good luck. When l had
charge of the wagon guard l used to
study the man, hoping to find one
thing to prove that he was not as bad
as everybody made him out to be, but
my efforts were in vain. The man APP
peared to hate everything with life,
and once when somebody spoke of the
hereafter in his presence he cursed
and reviled until he had to be ordered
under arrest and gag placed in his
mouth. He had killed or crippled a
dozen men, though always escaping
conviction, and but for his courage,
which is looked upon as a rarity among
teamsters under convoy, he would not
have been allowed in any train.
did more than study Jake-I tried
to make friends with him. He met me
In such contemptuous, belligerent
spirit, however, that turned away de-
spairingly. What was it to me whether
he was good or bad? Nothing, | re-
ply, and yet somehow wanted to dig
down below the crust and discover
what made him the wicked, reckless
| man he was--to touch that chord which
Is to be found in every human breast,
no matter how much evil covers it up
and conceals it. When he continued
to repulse me, left him to himself, as
all others had done, but | never got
sight of him without feeling that the
time would come when his better ma
ture would shine out, if only for mo-
ment
One summer day, when our train of
thirty wagons were strung out on the
hot plains and the escort was smaller
than usual, the crafty Cheyennes sud
denly charged us. A soldier is ALWAYS
ready for brush and is seldom thrown
off his balance, but l frankly admit
that but for the courageous conduct of
Jake on that occasion the train would
have been lost. His face wore a look
of fiendish delight as he rushed up and
down, now firing a shot and now kick
ing and cursing cowardly teamster.
He got the train closed up, put heart
into the drivers and gave the small
escort opportunity to make the best of
the situation. After hot fight we
beat the redskins off, and as they re-
tired grudgingly behind a ridge we
pursued our way. We had gone about
a mile when Jake rode to the head of
the column on led horse He was
pale-faced and trembling, and it was
only after two or three efforts that he
succeeded in calling out:
Captain, for heavens sake, stop the
train for ten minutes!''
For what reason?" | asked.
Because l lost my treasure back
there and must recover it. Please order
halt The Injuns are licked and will
not attack again"
| thought the man had lost his wal
let when he spoke of his treasure, but
his voice and demeanor had so changed
that every body looked at him in amaze
ment. The train was halted, and |
asked him how much money he had
lost and where he hoped to find it.
ttMnnoT-r3 hn Cd l.
heart were breaking. 1T isn't money.
but my treasure-my relics! I've car
ried 'em fur over fifteen years, and if
they are gone l sha'n't want to live
another hourn'
He rode straight back at the Indians
as fast as his horse could go, and as he
rode he scanned the ground to the
right and left before him. The red
skins were puzzled and suspicious and
retreated a little, but when it became
apparent that he was searching for
some lost article they moved to close
in on him. We couldn't stand that.
To lose the train in trying to save
Jake meant court-martial and dis
grace, but the teamsters were left to!
do the best they could, and every
trooper put spurs to his horse. We saw
Jake dismount and snatch up small
parcel from the grass-his lost treas
ure. The act cost him his life. Before
he could remount the Indians were
near enough to fire upon him, and
though they did not get his scalp they
laid him low. We drove them off and
carried his body back to the train. In
his left hand was clutched his package.
and his fingers were so tightly clinched
that it took strong hands to open them.
Jake's treasure-his relicsl What do
you suppose they were? We knew him
for wicked, heartless man, fearing no
God and caring for no mans good opin-
ion, and you can imagine our astonish-
ment when that packet, carefully
wrapped in oilskin and tied and sealed
with great care, was unfolded and we
found wee little mitten, child's tin
whistle battered old rattlebox and
a lock of hair as fine and soft as silk.
They were relics of babyhood-child-
hood-relics he had carried in his bosom
for years and years and treasured as
more priceless than pearls or diamonds.
His baby-his child? 1t must have
been so. Somewhere in the east he had
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