The next day Comstock and bride went to Carson City, and while there receiving the congratulations of friends, the Mormon husband suddenly appeared upon the scene.
There was for a time a considerable amount of blowing on both sides, Comstock producing his certificate of marriage and asserting that it was the right he stood upon. Finally, to settle the difficulty, Comstock agreed to give the ex-husband a horse, a revolver, and $60 in money for the woman, and so have no more bother.
This was agreed to and Carter took the “consideration” and started off. After he had gone a distance of two or three hundred yards, Comstock shouted after him and told him to come back. When he had returned, Comstock demanded of him a bill of sale for his wife, saying that the right way to do business was “up and up;” he wanted no “after-claps”—didn’t wish to be obliged to pay for the woman a dozen times over.
Carter then made out and signed a regular bill of sale, which Comstock put in his wallet and then waved the man away.
In a few days Comstock had business at San Francisco. He left his bride at Carson City and started over the mountains. When he had reached Sacramento, word was sent him that his wife had run away with a seductive youth of the town, and that the pair were on their way to California by the Placerville route.
Comstock was all activity as soon as this news reached him. He engaged the services of half a dozen Washoe friends whom he found at Sacramento, and all hands hastened to Placerville, where they waited for the runaways, who were on foot, to come in.
In due season they arrived and were pounced upon. Comstock and his wife had a long talk in private.
At length Comstock made his appearance and told his friends that it was all right, there would be no more trouble, as his wife was sorry for what she had done and would now live with him right along and be a good wife to him. All congratulated “Old Pancake” upon having brought his affairs to a conclusion so satisfactory.[satisfactory.]
Wishing to bring forth his wife and have her tell his friends how good she was going to be in the future, Comstock presently went to the room in which he had left her. No wife was there! While Comstock had been talking with his friends and receiving their congratulations, his wife had climbed out of a back window and was off again with her young lover.
“To horse! to horse!” was then the cry, and soon Comstock’s friends had mounted and were away. Not a moment was to be lost if the fugitives were to be captured, and the pursuit began at once. Comstock himself was not idle. He went forth into the town and offered $100 reward for the capture and return of the runaways.[runaways.] He also went to a livery-stable and hired all the teams about the establishment, sending forth upon the search all who could be induced to go.