borrowed a saddle. This took place at 4½ o'clock, and a half hour before, the landlord of Cushman's Hotel in Millersburg saw the other four pass his house on a gallop. He says that three of them stopped at his hostelry the night before. He saw the other two pass some time later, but did not recognize among the six, the man that made up four whom he had entertained.
Mr. Cushman says the men were extremely well-behaved, using no liquor, and indulging in no profanity or vulgarity. They retired early and arose late. He speaks of one as evidently the leader, he appearing like a man who had never done any manual labor. His horse was cared for by the others, and his quiet directions were promptly obeyed. The men talked but little, saying that they were from Illinois and were civil engineers looking over the country, to decide upon the feasibility of building more railroads in that section. This party had left Cushman's house at 9 o'clock Thursday morning, and had leisurely ridden the ten miles to Northfield.
THE PURSUIT.
In the meantime there had been mounting in hot haste, and detachments in wagons and on horses had started from Northfield to undertake to head off the bandits on what is known as the Dodd road. This road the robbers seemed to have missed, and, notwithstanding their earlier start, they did not arrive at the town of Shieldsville, fifteen miles away, until after a squad of five men had reached that point. These men were in a saloon refreshing themselves and telling their wonderful tale, when the rough riding marauders dashed up in front of the place. The boys were attracted to the door by the noise of the horses' hoofs, and two or three started for the wagon in which their arms had been left. This movement was promptly checked by the leader, and the lads slouched back to the saloon.
The bandits leisurely proceeded to water their animals, and while doing so an inquisitive old party standing by enquired “where they were going?” All laughed at this query and one, pointing to Bob Younger whose arm was still bleeding, replied that “they were going”
“TO HANG THAT D——D CUSS.”
After having watered the horses the desperadoes seemed in no haste, but practiced with their pistols on the pump shattering it to pieces. Soon, however the order was given and all dashed away, going toward Waterville.
The dash and daring of the robbers had electrified the people of the town so that nothing was done, but after they had got well off, the [pg 25] gallant squad of pursuers started on the trail. Soon they were joined by others, augmenting the force to seventeen, and the bandit band was sighted in a ravine about four miles from Shieldsville. The attacking party opened fire from the brow of a hill but their arms consisted of rusty shot guns, and small pistols, hence nothing was accomplished. When the attack commenced the bandits wheeled in platoon and discharged a harmless volley at the pursuers.
The horse of one of the robbers fell, and it was supposed that he had been shot, but he quickly recovered. As the bandit sought to mount him again, he found his girth broken, and in obedience to an order from the chief, he mounted behind his comrade, and the gang moved off at a round trot. The abandoned horse was found to be the one taken from Empey, and the saddle, the one borrowed near Millersburgh.