The Kansas blackman., 1894-06-01
JIM'S GRATITUDE.

pTdlFle tEdl11 HOloOAaA - uuAAOA AAs
riding at gallop.
A turn in the road; buShWhacker
hidden ia the bushes; a shot, and a
fall from the saddle.
1t was Little Jim, our third Ser
geant riding across the country to
carry a dispatch We called him
Little Jim because he was small or
stature and because everybody liked
him. He was only a boy, and one
look into his frank face and big blue
eyes made you his friend. The BUSH
whacker peered over the log and saw
his victim lying on the stony road
and the horse galloping away In
alright, and smile Of satisfaction
came to his face Us he rose up and
hurried through the woods. War Is
not always war; Sometimes it is as
ssinatinn--murdeE
Twenty rods beyond the body lying
in the road is 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 clatter of hoofs they rise up from
their frugal MONDAY meal and run
down to the gate A dead man Is bV
no means a rare sight to mother and
children. Scores of dead have been
left on that highway in the last few
weeks, and at times the cabin has
been full of wounded me who
groaned and cursed.
'It's Bluenose who's been bush
whacked," whispers the mother as
she leads the way down the road, and
presently the trio are hooking down
upon the lifeless form Of our Little
Jim. No, not lifelesS The bullet
struck him in the side and inflicted a
severe wound, but even while they
gaze at lhim he opens. his blue eyes
and tries to realize his situat on.
t'Looks jest Ike Uncle Dan, )"
whispers one of the thildren.
Lets be good to him" pleads the
other.
She would. Assisted a bit by the
children, she got him to the house
and had captured 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 probed
for the bullet and found 1t, and If
living to-day he wears 1t on his
watchchain. The Eastern volunteers
had been holding that road FOR
weeks, and all that afternoon and
evening the woman listened fer the
clatter of hoofs that she might re-
port what had occurred and have her
patient taken away. Not a horse
man passed.
There were days and nights whef
Little Jim was out of his head and
raving of home and mother. There
were days and nights when his life
hung on thread He had the care
! 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 10
life. By and by the crisis passed, and
F! the soldier knew where he was and
the situation outside. He knew more
than the good woman would have
him. That Little family was being
put to sore straits to find him such
food as an invalid must have: and he
heard the children cry out at night
because they had not enough covering
to keep them warm. After a few
days, when be found there was nc
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 ius sted on calling him
Uncle Daniel, cried at the thought
of his going away.
Pretty s0on new peril threatened.
The neutral territory Was given VI
to bushwhackers and Indians. One
day a long haired. evii-loOking man
whose gaFD was that OF farmer. and
who was probably the would be assas
sin of Little Jim, was seen lurking
about the premises The woman pu
another pillow behind the soldier
handed him his revolver and quietl,
= said
81 have your carbine and shall tr-
to kill him IL he persists In enterinl
the hOuse II am killed then yol
: must take care OF yourself
The Sergeant could hear every wor'
OF the conversation as the man Enali
advanced 10 the house and the 10
: man stepped outside 10 meet hlm.
Look yere. woman he bezan
) ''who 20 got In yo'r house,"
, by what right do You 80 inaIf
= she demanded in turn.
by the right everybody mas Y
Kill a cussed Canuck wherever he XII
md him. stand aside and let m
see what sort OF foul yC'ye hal
cooped in yere for two or thre
weeks"
Click. Ciick. sounded the hamme
. of her carDlne. and al she br0ugn
. the mnzzle on line with tile man
heart she said:
There's the road. Yo' s<attef. III
, count twenty and then Ill shOUtiT
He backed awaY. III ttering an
, curslng, and for .A= next three day
. the cabin was In state Of siege. II
1 hung about determined 20 invest
gate the re- sorts which had s0meho'
4 L.