“He will come back with reinforcements, and if they get you I would not give much for your hide.”
Sure enough, the man did return, and with a body of men. They began to pound upon the door, but were met by Arnold with the assurance that the first man that entered would be shot down in his tracks. This defiance had the effect of cooling the ardor of the besiegers. They remained about the door all night, however, so that Arnold and Bemis were compelled to remain awake with their weapons in hand during the long night that followed, for it was a long night to both of them. Both had been exposed to great hardships and were fatigued. Arnold had been a night in the stage coming down. The next night he had devoted to his papers. Bemis’ experience has been described. But they had another night before them, and nothing was left to them but to make the best of it.
At last morning came. The stage was to start a 6 o’clock. They must get off on that stage or all was lost. Accordingly a few minutes before 6 the two men unbarred the door of their prison and walked out with their pistols in their hands.
The besiegers had disappeared. The stage was in waiting near the hotel. Arnold and his prisoner jumped in. As they did so, the landlord came up, and as he demanded his pay, struck at Bemis.
The stage driver had seen the row coming on, and having exclaimed, “Jerusalem! it’s after 6, and I am off!” had made a sudden start, which left the irate poker player standing alone, while Arnold and his prisoner were off for Denver.
This was a triumph, to be sure, but all was not yet over. The stage passed rapidly on to Las Vegas without incident. Arriving at that place it was stopped by a well-armed Mexican, who was followed by a dozen determined looking fellows, all evidently well heeled. Arnold had taken a seat by the driver’s side. The Mexican stated that he was the sheriff of the county, and said he had received a dispatch from Santa Fe, directing him to arrest one John Jerome, who was on the stage in charge of an officer named Smith, from Salt Lake City, on a capias. Arnold at once came to the front, and making himself spokesman for the stage party passed the question around to every passenger on the coach:
“Is your name Smith?” “Your name Jerome?” etc.
All answered no. “Must be a mistake,” said Joe. “My name is Arnold; I am an officer from Denver, and I have a prisoner here named Bemis, but of course we are not the people you want.” He then showed his papers, which confirmed his statement.
“Oh, naw,” replied the sheriff in broken English; “ve vant Smeet—no vant you.”
Mr. Arnold then volunteered the information that he had heard in Santa Fe of some trouble of the character described about a prisoner, but thought it probable that the fellow had evaded the officers and would be along on the next coach, which the sheriff also considered a plausible theory, and allowed Arnold and Bemis to pass on. The reader will see that the wrong names had been telegraphed. The Santa Fe officials had consulted the hotel register and not the territorial books for the names.