Track's End / Being the Narrative of Judson Pitcher's Strange Winter Spent There as Told by Himself and Edited by Hayden Carruth Including an Accurate Account of His Numerous Adventures, and the Facts Concerning His Several Surprising Escapes from Death Now First Printed in Full

by Hayden Carruth

PIKE HANDCUFFING ME IN THE DRUG STORE, MARCH NINETEENTH

As I sat there in the dark unable to move and with the handcuffs cutting into my wrists you may believe I was miserable enough. I expected nothing short of being killed by the gang before they left. I saw what a fool I had been to trust the scoundrelly Indian even as much as I had. It was a little satisfaction, however, to know that he had failed to get off with his stolen property even if it had fallen into the hands of a worse set of thieves. I soon heard them at work on the safe in the bank. Of course I thought of my fuse, but it 206 was a dozen feet away, the other side of the counter, and I could see not a shadow of hope of getting at it.

I think I sat there as much as two hours, listening to the noise in the next building, when Pike came in and said:

“You’ll be glad to hear, Jud, that we’re getting along beautiful on that safe. We’re a-going to blow the stuffing out of it the next thing you know. Reckon if you ain’t particular we’ll just borrow a sleigh we see out here and a set of Sours’s harness for a couple of our horses when we go away, ’cause we think the specie may be a little heavy. Besides, we’re calculating there may be some other stuff around town worth taking off–Winchesters and such agricultural and stock-raising implements,” and he laughed. He seemed to be in very good humor.

He went back, and for another long while I heard nothing but steady drilling on the safe and a little of their talk, though I could not catch much of that. Sometimes, too, I could hear Kaiser barking. He was locked in the hotel, and I thought he knew I was in trouble and wanted to get out and help me. 207

After what seemed hours Pike came in again.

“We blow ’er open now very shortly,” he said. “A reg’ler little Fourth o’ July celebration of our own, hey, Jud?” Then he laughed and went on: “We need that money and you bet it’s going to come handy.” He looked at me, came closer with the lantern, and said:

“Jud, what d’ye say to coming in with us and having your share like a man? You’re a good one, if you are young, and we can find plenty of work for you, and always you get your share.”