The Red Cloud chief., 1879-07-10
4 DOCNlE
swim p~uaishmess Waited rpos . Ceupss
OF Cslossds H.sss thieves
Irnrn IN Ixnrrr Irdfrunc1

slouchy looking individual went 20 J.
H. Estabrook's stable, In this city. and
hired . double carriage and \ span OF
horses. Neither the horses nor the man
came back that night, and Mr.. Esta-
brook gradually became convinced tbs,
his horses and vehicle had been stolen.
The detectives were Informed and Mr..
Arnold was put in chsrge Of the case.
Having ascer,sined that the party bad
fed eastward along The line OF the Kan.
sas Pacific Railroad, he started on, on
the train Wednesday morning in pursui,
Of the rogues and their booty. The pur-
suit continued I'VE days and ended on
Saturday in one Of the most lonely and
one Ct the coolest tragedies which have
eve found locality on the Wes;s IN
plains.
II has already been told how Arnold
detailed two men, Messrs. Finly and
Brown, TO pursue the thieves on horse
back from River Bend, while be should
proceed on the train 10 Intercept them
in case i, was found that they had made
greater progress than was believed ~ be
the case. IL has also been related how
these two men came upon the thieves
late Thursday night, and created q
stampede which lasted almost 90 hours.
Ii is related, also, that the fleeing men
had two surplus horses which were led
from the rear of their carriage, which
they suddenly mounted when the time
came, and upon which they made their
wild flight ver the prairies.
Up to this point the story agrees with
that already published but here the di-
vergence begins. At Arroyo the horses
which were afterward put to such use rs
that described were stolen from a man
named Whiting. We all know how the
crime Of horse-stealing is regarded in
this far Western country. There has
been a time when TO steal a bit Of horse
flesh was to invite certain and speedy
death. Since that time we have become
q degree more refined. But the old
feeling still fingers 10 a certain extent
especially it would seem along the line
Of the Kansas Pacific. and out on the
plains where the horse is quite As valua-
BILE for all purposes as he is in his nat
ural home in the Arabian sands. This
accounts for the determination that the
good people of Arroyo came TO TO have
the thieves. 1t is quite probable that il
they had not been so wise in their fore
sight, as they were in stealing horses tia.
they might at least be living, if not in
possession of their liberty.
OF course they soon rode these horses
down, going as they were at break-neck
speed. When they reached Carson they
found themselves in great need of fresh
stock. They found preparations going
forward at tbi, place for the spring
and necessarily a great many
horses collected together. They col
lected two of the best looking animals
to Messrs. Pugsley & Church,
put their brides on them, turning the
horses which they had been riding loose,
and again were off with the wind. On
Saturday they were interrupted by
Arnold's crowd ana fired into,
but Intellectually a. it af.
proved. They turned their
course. Then came the splendid chase
Of twelve miles across the prairie with
the two thieves fleeing like foxes and
the cowboys following like hounds in
The heated chase. The thieves had been
pursued by parties both from Arroyo
and from Kit Carson, and on Sunday
morning they came together. A brief
was held, and it was universally
resolved that the audacious scoundrels
should be pursued to death or capture.
was taken of the lack of
water on the plains. 1t was known that
he thieves and their horses had been
without water two days, and it was in
erred that they naturally would take
he first opportunity they could to find
something TO slake their thirst. They
had already crossed the State line and
we're in Kansas, and it was believed had
a hidiug-place on q little stream
'alled the Eagle Tail.
The pursuers started out on Sunday
morning q week ago to-day, bent upon
their prey. They discovered
hat their men had gone further han
hey expected, and it was q long while
'efOre they found any trace. 1t was a
lreadfully disagreeable day, as it will
remembered it was in Denver. The
Wind blew furiously at times, almost
weeping the pursuing party from the
ace of the plains; the sky wa covered
nth heavy clouds; the rain began to
all about 4 O'Clock in the afternoon.
'ruly it was a bad day for man hunting.
.ess determined spirits and men who
ad less of a grievance to satisfy than
hese had. would have ceased their pur-
uit and gone in search of more friendly
uarters. But such a course as this was
OF in this case to be thought of.
Late in the afternoon the hiding-place
( the refugees was discovered. They
ad found water on the Eagle Tail, had
It their horses go and had sought pro-
,ctiOn under q DIT of s%heltering earth,
oping that it would prove a hiding
lace from their pursaers as well as pro.
,ction from the rain. Not so. ,
Seven men dashed upon them sudden q,
and ferOciously, told them not to I
love at the peril of instant death, and,
gripped them in a dozen s
ands with the strength and with twice {
le ferocity of rs many vises. 1
"It's up with u.s." muttered one of
le captives; we surrender. We will :
AXE no further resistance. Give Us .
tile food, and take US where you will"
"FoOd! food! No, you don't need
~ food. We will do better by you
ian that. They don't eat in that place
here you are next to stop" e
Z" Good God! what would you do?" d
A heavy peal of thunder killed the t
'und of the speakers voice. But il A
as sufficiently audible to send a thrill r
the frames of the two unfor- G
nate captive culpriss and to make G
lips culver for a moment. They 81
,derstood the import of what was said d
they did not understand the actual c,
ords. They made no appeal. A 8,
ance passed between the two men, fl
d they seemed to say to each other: e,
We may as well bear it manfully, as p
must come" They did o open "
cir lips to plead for mercy or to offer q
cuse. The cow-punchers were all the Ell