which led across the railroad bridge along the Sioux City line into a
melon patch, back to the road and on across the Garden City road. The
engineer of an incoming train motioned the pursuers toward the thick woods
covering the slopes of Pigeon Hill, some two hundred yards from the State
road. But on went the chattering, noisy trail-hunters, chasing each other
up the line. Quickly they came to a halt and found they had overrun the
trail. Doubling upon their tracks they came back several yards and found
the foot-prints turned off into the woods. Their attention was now
attracted by a strong smell of burning feathers, and looking up toward the
beautifully wooded acclivity, they saw a thin, pale column of smoke
issuing from the luxurious foliage and spreading itself out like a hazy
film.
At this point there seems to be conflicting statements as to what was
done, some asserting that Hoy at once made a dash toward the campfire;
others say that he spent several minutes consulting and ordering his own
men back to Garden City road to surround the camp. One man, Mr. Hansen, of
Mankato, says that he actually saw one of the robbers and wanted to fire,
but Hoy would not let him, stating that he might hit some of the pursuers
instead of the pursued. Both Cole and Bob Younger afterward stated that
Hoy did not charge into the camp at all. Be this as it may, the camp when
entered was found to be deserted. When the writer entered the