THE FUGITIVES SURPRISED--THEY ARE INCLINED TO FIGHT, FINDING THEY ARE
TWO TO ONE, BUT CHANGE THEIR MINDS AND SURRENDER--A LONELY RIDE--AN
EFFORT TO KILL GEN. COOK WHILE ASLEEP FRUSTRATED--FIVE DAYS WITHOUT
SLEEP--A SHORT BUT THRILLING CHAPTER.
Hilligoss and Britt were evidently taken entirely unaware. The two thieves
had stopped and gone to work, and did not suspect the shabby looking
stranger who was now standing with his back towards them only ten paces
away, until he turned upon them with cocked pistol in his left hand and as
usual, presented with an aim which they saw would be fatal, and commanded
in clear and distinct tones:
"Hands up!"
They hesitated a minute.
Cook drew a finer bead.
"It's no use," said Britt; "he's got us, d--n it!" and up their hands
went.
Thus were two desperadoes, either one of whom was considered a match for
any two ordinary men, taken by Gen. Cook. He even compelled them to disarm
themselves by unbuckling their pistol belts and letting their pistols drop
to the ground. Then he threw a pair of handcuffs to Britt and told him to
put them on.
"I can't," Britt replied.
"Put it on or I'll put a hole through you as big as a bay window."
The fellow snapped the irons on. Both men were served in this way. Both
horses were also recovered.
The succeeding night was spent at Fort Wallace waiting for the return
stage, and Cook was compelled to stay up with his prisoners all night to
guard them. The next day he started back with his men, riding with them in
a stage coach, or freight coach, almost as dark as a dungeon even in the
day. Cook had now been out for four nights and was naturally exhausted.
He sat on the floor of the vehicle, his feet resting against the opposite
side, while the two prisoners reversed his position, their feet resting
against the same wall which supported his body. They were thus sitting
when the officer dropped off to sleep after night came on. While thus
situated Cook felt his pistol slowly crawling out of the scabbard by his
side. He was awake in an instant, and, slapping his hand upon the weapon,
found it half way out, one of the thieves having pulled it out with his
feet. Mr. Cook demanded a light from the driver after this pleasant
episode, which the driver at first declining to furnish, he told him that
he could either give him a candle or carry two dead bodies to Denver, as
he would most assuredly kill the two fellows if they were given another
opportunity to bother him. The light was furnished.
Cook now set the two men in one end of the vehicle and took a seat himself
in the other, telling them that he always slept with one eye open, and
that if they even touched him again, he would blow them through. They
didn't touch him after this. They afterwards confessed that if they had
gotten Cook's pistol they meant either to kill him with it or make him set
them free. He had a derringer besides the revolver, however, and would
probably have been equal to the emergency if they had gotten his revolver.
Still he did not care to risk himself in their power, and hence did not go
to sleep again.
The scoundrels were as quiet as mice the rest of the way, and the journey
to Denver was devoid of further incident, except that soon after the
little matter referred to one of the thieves had complained that his
handcuff hurt him. Thinking the fellow had been fooling with it in trying
to get it off. Cook reached over and simply tightened it for him.
The officer arrived home on the fifth day out. He was, of course, almost
worn out and nearly frozen. Turning the prisoners over to the jailer he
went to bed and slept seventeen hours. When he awoke he found the man
whose handcuffs he had so kindly tightened suffering great agony, and
discovered then that George Hopkins, who was then jailer, had tried in
vain to wake him to get the handcuff keys, but had failed utterly, so
dead asleep had Cook been. He was sorry, but he couldn't cry, as he had
only, though unintentionally, punished a man who would have killed him if
he had gotten an opportunity.
Britt and Hilligoss were afterwards tried and sentenced to three years'
imprisonment each, but both escaped after serving a year, and neither has
ever been heard of since. The stock were returned to their owner, who, it
may be inferred, was quite rejoiced at the success of the officer.
This, take it all in all, was a remarkable exploit--remarkable in the odds
against Cook when the men were captured, in the persistence of the
pursuit, and in its many details. It has, for these reasons, been chosen
to suggest the frontispiece picture of this volume.
HANGED IN A HOG PEN.