“Say, old fellow, which way do you think they went?”
It was Cook’s time now to get in his lick.
“Gives us two horses and I will tell you; without the horses I don’t know a d—d thing.”
“All right,” replied the leader, laughingly, “we’ll get ’em,” with which the well mounted party rode off, going in the direction of Cañon City, much to the delight of the Denver men, who, though still afoot, had a great advantage in their experience of years and in the knowledge which they possessed. They determined to press forward, notwithstanding the snow was falling at a blinding rate and night had well set in.
Cook and Smith prevailed upon a ranchman to take them to Mason’s ranch, six miles below, in an express wagon. Here they ascertained that the two men had passed between 3 and 4 o’clock in the afternoon. Cook and Smith then went over to the railroad station and endeavored to persuade three men, by an offer of $30, to take them to Pueblo on a hand-car. This the railroad men refused to do, as it was against orders to put a hand-car on the track at night.
“If you don’t put it on we will,” said Cook to the boss. “We must have it.”
“That would make no difference; we can not disobey orders.”
“You can’t, eh?” said Dave, as he pulled his revolver around so as to show it to the astonished Mike. “Now we’ve got to have the car; we’re officers and must have it. If you don’t give it to us we shall have to take it, and compel some of your men to go along with us.”
This was an argument of more force than had yet been used, and resulted in the boss’s agreeing to take the officers to a point seven miles below, which would be only fourteen from Pueblo, where he was sure transportation could be obtained.
In the face of the most disagreeable snow storm of the season the indomitable detectives, aided by three of the section men, propelled the car, the officers and men alternately working the lever and holding brooms to sweep the snow from the rails so as to allow the car to move. So they worked their way along for several miles until they reached Mr. John Irvine’s ranch. There they hired a wagon and team for $20, and with that went into Pueblo, where they arrived at 3 o’clock on Thursday morning. As may be imagined, they were pretty well used up. They had put in about as hard a night as ever falls to the lot of mortals, walking at times, as they had to do, through slush and snow; riding on rough wagons, working the lever of the hand-car, and all the time going through the dark and facing the wind and sleet. Besides this, they had been compelled to bulldoze everybody, ranchmen and railroad men. A hard night it had been. No wonder that when they got into Pueblo they were well nigh exhausted. Their clothes were wet through and hung limp on their limbs like clothes on a pole.