The mystery was soon to be solved however. A portion of the squad took refuge in Dehn's hay loft for the night, and at daylight Tuesday morning as Mr. Mills Church, of Northfield, an old war veteran, was peeping from his roost, he saw two hard looking horses, peering over the farm gate, evidently envying the inviting stack of oats within.

Church immediately went to them, and found they were two of the robbers' horses without doubt. One was a bright bay with white face and three white feet, and the other was a handsome brown mare. Both were very thin and showed marks of exposure, and deep rowelling on their sides. The brown had large galls each side of her back bone made by the saddle, and these were covered by thick scabs that had been forming at least three days. Both wore halters, that of the bay being without a strap, while a piece about a foot long hung to the halter of the brown, it having been chewed off by the wearer.

The nags were well cared for, and their trail was immediately taken up while their tracks were fresh, but the horses had stopped to graze so often thus doubling and changing their course, that it was almost a fruitless task. Feeling that Dehn's house at which they were found was probably the first one the horses saw, a

LONG LINE OF SKIRMISHERS

was formed, and a thorough search of the woods made. At about 7 o'clock the left of the line came upon the last camp where the robbers were in possession of their horses. Dr. Hurd of Faribault was in advance, and as he came to the spot, the noted buckskin horse whinned and stamped showing most unmistakable signs of delight at again seeing a human form. The camp was located so near the road that it is a wonder that it had not been discovered. At each of three saplings a horse had been tied, the yellow one in the middle. They had been given as long range as possible, but there was no feed for them except the bark and wood of the trees to which they were tied. These were eaten as high as the horses could reach and deep into the roots. The ground around was stamped hard, and there were evidences that the poor animals had made desperate efforts to escape. At a short distance away pronged stakes were found which showed that the fleeing men had found shelter in a most uncomfortable manner. They had probably thrown blankets over the frame and stopped to dress the wounded man. There was no trace of eating or sleeping. Behind a log near by, all the saddles of the five laid in a pile, an old russet-leather saddle, much defaced, at the bottom of the pile, very wet. This showed two shot marks, from one of which a medium-sized pistol bullet was taken. Two others on the pile were black, solid-seat saddles, one new, open, black McClellan, one new russet McClellan. The black McClellan was marked underneath, at the front, $8.50, with the cost mark above: two old blankets and three old gunny bags were found. The robbers carried away all the bridles and good blankets.

The horses at Rosseneau's and Laney's were then procured and the entire five were delivered to Commissioner Scott of Rice county, it being the feeling that that community should have the benefit of what was recovered.

EXCITING NEWS.

Excitement had again subsided, and after the capture of the [pg 34] robbers' horses in a state indicating that they had been abandoned for several days, the opinion gained ground rapidly that the robbers had made tracks on foot and were many miles away. The hunt had virtually come to an end, was the thought of many, and a general movement was made by the pursuers toward those homes to which of late, they had become strangers. The St. Paul police had started for home, and the Minneapolis force was already there. The indefatigable and energetic sheriff of Winona, was even contemplating an abandonment of the chase when news was brought into Mankato, which at once aroused excitement to its highest pitch. A farmer had been captured by the bandits, and with arms tightly bound behind him, compelled at the muzzle of a revolver to accompany them on the road to pilot the way beyond Mankato. Hearing that this unfortunate was the man in charge of Mr. Shaubut's farm, the writer sought out the man

DUNNING,

who told him that about six o'clock on Wednesday morning the 13th, he started from his house in search of the cows. He had scarcely passed the barn going towards the woods when six men came upon him. They were for the most part powerfully built men, well dressed, with linen dusters and blankets strapped up in bridles. The men came up to him and said they were