The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1894-05-10
JAKE's TREASURE.
From he New YorS Recorder.

fell In with the man everybody knew
as Jake alone, but it didn't take me
half day to decide that he was the
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 10,
and he'd fight any white man living
with any sort Of weapon. No COM
pany of soldiers would use as much
profanity in 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 ! had
charge of the wagon guard / used to
study the man. hoping TO find one
thing to prove that he was not as bad
as every body 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 rarity among
teamsters under convoy, he would not
have been allowed in any train.
l did more than study Jake-I tried
to make friends with him. He met me
In such a contemptuous, belligereut
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 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 a hot fight we
beat the redskins off, and as they re-
tired grudgingly behind 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
succeeded in calling out:
Captain, for heavens sake, stop the
train for ten miDutesi'
For what reason?" l asked.
Because l lost my treasure back
there and must recover IL Please order
a 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
nent. The train was halted, and I |
asked him how much money he had
lost and where he hoped to find it.
Money!" he walled out as il his |
heart were breaking. 1T isn't money,
but my treasure-my relics. I've car.
lied 'em fur over fifteen years, and if
hey are gone l sha'n't want to live |
another hour
He rode straight back at the Indians
Is fast as his horse could go, and as he /
ode he scanned the ground to the |
light and left before him. The red |
kins were puzzled and suspicious and
little, but when it became
ipparent that he was searching for
ome lost article they moved to close
n on him. We couldn't stand that.
70 lose the train in trying to save
AXE meant court-martial and dis
race, but the teamsters were left TO
10 the best they could, and every
rooper put spurs to his horse. We saw
axe dismount and snatch up q small
,arcel from the grass-his lost treas
ire. The act cost him his life. Before
e could remount the Indians were
ear enough to fire upon him, and
hough they did not get his scalp thew
aid him low. We drove them of and
arried his body back TO the train. In
is left hand was clutched his package.
nd his fingers were SO tightly clinched
hat it took strong hands to open them.
Jake's treasure-his relics. What do
GU suppose they were? We knew him
Or wicked. heartless man. fearing no
-od and caring for no man good opin-
IN, and you can imagine our astonish-
lent when that packet, carefully
trapped in oilskin and tied and sealed
18th great care, was Unfolded and we
ound a wee little mitten. a child's tin /!
thistle, a battered old rattlebox aud
lock OF hair as fine and soft as silk.
hey were relics of babvhood-
ood-relics be had carried in his bosom !
DIT years and years and treasured as
lore priceless than pearls or diamonds. !
lis baby-his child2 II must have 4
cen so. Somewhere il the east he had !
nee had a happy home and vie and
hid. Death had come 70 break up his
appiness. Perhaps il had come 70
9th mother and child and made him q
and emb.ttered his nature
% one Will ever know. He had So
ret which was betrayed only by his
cath. and we who 50 often wondered I I
his heart could be touched found out |