A VULGAR INVITATION
to report to the pursuers. They evidently felt easy, as they were in familiar territory, and asked the boy where they could cross the river. He directed them to two crossings, and they started towards the lower, but had not crossed at six. They were in a country hard to hunt, full of knolls and ravines. The stage from Sioux Falls this afternoon brought in the two gray horses, which were found at the house of Mr. Nelson, on Splitrock river, below the Palisades. The robbers called [pg 46] there between six and eight o'clock Sunday evening. Kelson lit a pipe and sat on the fence talking. One robber asked if he was
GOING TO SIT THERE ALL NIGHT,
and inquired about the fords and roads. After Nelson went in, the outlaws changed their grays for his two horses, both black and blind, one in both eyes, and the other in one. Nelson saw their revolvers. They rode the blacks until two o'clock Monday morning, but made only ten miles, when they changed for a pair of grays, five miles north of Sioux Falls. The blind horses probably did not suit them. They went through Sioux Falls about five Monday morning, and overtook the Yankton stage. They asked the driver where he was going. The driver told them, and asked them the same question. The robbers did not answer, but turned back into Sioux Falls. This is
THE LAST SEEN
of the two supposed to be the James brothers, as far as known in this State. Their course has been almost directly west by compass. I think they would have taken the northern trail, but were driven south by Dill's division in that direction. The fugitives were robbed of rest they intended to take, and were forced to make eighty miles without stopping, thus showing that they had good horses.
Various reports have been received recently in regard to the escaped bandits, but they are probably safely away and among their old familiar scenes.
A few determined spirits followed into Dakota, but the great body of the pursuers returned disappointed to their homes, and resumed their avocations, only to be again stirred and inspired in a few days by the remarkable events which will be found in the succeeding chapter.