LOOKING FOR ROBBERS,
and guessed he was one of them. He protested that he was not, when one said they would take him with them anyhow, and proceeded to bind his hands behind him with a bridle rein. They then insisted, upon his showing them the way past Mankato, so that they might strike the Minnesota above, asking him questions as to whether they would be likely to find any boats upon the river, and if it was possible to ford or swim across. Dunning begged them to let him go, when they told him they were
THE NORTHFIELD ROBBERS,
but if he would show them the way and keep a silent tongue in his head they would send him a handsome present. He still begged to be released, stating that he had a delicate wife and young children, and if he should be away from the farm he would lose his situation, and then what would his family do during the winter? The robbers thought he seemed a good sort of a fellow, and if they could only trust him, perhaps they might let him return, but could they trust him? Dunning protested by all that was sacred that they might, and promised if they would only let him return home, he would not breathe to a living soul that he had seen there and he expressed a hope that they would get through safe and sound without being captured. The [pg 35] robbers held a short consultation among themselves, in which Dunning thought he heard proposals of shooting him on the spot. It was to him
A MOMENT OF DREADFUL SUSPENSE,
and he shook with very fear, but to his inexpressible relief one of the men said that they had agreed to let him return home—they did not want his family to suffer for them. They then asked him his name and postal address, which they carefully noted down, repeating their former promise of a handsome present if they got safely off, and if he kept his faith with them.
One of the men asked if they could not get to the river from where they were by leaving the timber and crossing the level open flat, and if they could not swim the river easily. To which Dunning replied that they would be discovered almost immediately if they attempted to leave the woods, advising them to keep under cover as much as they could. With this they released his arms and set him free, they the while seating themselves upon the ground and watching him till he got out of sight. He at once ran home, and after getting his breakfast, he crossed over from his house to the residence of Mr. Shaubut, and told him the whole story.
MR. SHAUBUT,
who is a banker in Mankato, brought the news to town, which set the whole city into commotion. Men of all classes hurried about for arms. The telegraph wires called up from Janesville the few men who still lingered there reluctant to give up the chase. The same lightning messenger brought men from Winona, Waseca, Owatonna, and Faribault. St. Peter, and Le Sueur sent in their quota of armed citizens. The message found the redoubtable Hoy at the Nicollet hotel, where he was narrating to an admiring throng his exploits at Elysian, and brought him back to the regained trail; the same message arrested the St. Paul police on their homeward journey at Blakely, and, in an incredibly short time