Pine Bluff daily graphic., 1894-05-01

pany of soldiers would use as much profanity in a day as Jake would in 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 tke man, hoping to find one thing to prove that he was not as bad as everybody made him out to be, but nay efforts were in vain. The man ap- peared to hate everything with life, and once when somebody spoke of the hereafter i'll 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 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 mel iR such a contemptuous, bel1igerent spirit, however, that turned away de- spairingly. What was it to me whether he was good or badp Nothing, re-! ply, and yet I 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 eonceals it. When he continued to repulse me, 1 left him to himself asl sall NNl sight of him without feeling that the time would come when his better na-l ture would shine out, if only for nio9 ment.
 One summer day, when our train of thirty wagons were strung out on the. hot plains and the escort was smalIdrI tAan usual, the crafty Cheysnnes sud denly charged us. A soldier is always ready for brush and is seldom thrown of his balance, but I frankly admit that but for the courageous conduct of J8lse sR that occasion the train wodLa have been lost His face wore 16ok of fiendish delight as he rushed up and down, now firing a shot and now kick ing and cursing cowardly teamster.I 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 a hot fight we beat the redskins off, and as they re- tired grudgingly behind ridge we pursued our way. We had gone about 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 minutesr'
 "For what reason?" l asked.
 Because I lost my treasure back there and must recover it. Please order halt. The Injuns are licked and will not attack again"
 l thought the man had lost his wal let when he spoke of his treasure, but his voice and demeanor had so changed that everybody looked at him in amaze ment The train was halted, and I asked him how much money he had lost and where he hoped to find it.
 'Moneyi' he walled out as if his heart were breaking. Ut isn't money, but my treasure-my relics Eve car ried em fur over fifteen years, and if they are gone I sha'n't want to live another hour!''
 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 q small parcel from the grass-his lost treas ure. The act cost him his life. Before 1 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. Tn l 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 relics! What do you suppose they were? We knew him for wicked, heartless man, fearing no God and caring for no man $ 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 a wee little mitten, a child's tin whistle, battered old rattlehox 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 sfor years and years and treasured as
 hore priceless than pearls or diamonds, lsHis bsbyShis child? It must have bean ao soneNhere n the eaat IT hed