It appears that at a crossing over a small creek on the outskirts of Lake
Crystal, ten guards had been placed. Nine of them had procured hay and
ensconced themselves in the bushes to enjoy a quiet sleep. A young man
named Richard Roberts, of Mankato, alone was faithful to his trust, and
while the others slept he kept his ceaseless vigil. The night was pitchy
dark, but the brave boy had become accustomed to it, and his ear was
rendered wonderfully acute. At about midnight he thought he heard the
sound of horse’s hoofs on the deep sand of the road, and he got a position
where if any one passed he could read the outlines against the sky. Soon a
horse appeared bearing two riders.
Stepping from his bush he cried “halt,” when the two men slid over to the
further side of the horse. Dick then raised his rifle, and as the bandits
undertook to rush their horse past him, he fired. The animal gave a start,
throwing his riders, and ran rapidly away.
The two men must have been hit in the legs, but they were not disabled,
for they immediately gained their feet and dashed into a cornfield near
by, where their trail was lost until morning. In falling they made deep
indentions in the sand, and one lost his hat, which was of fine make and
nearly new. Before young Roberts had time to start in pursuit, the
frightened horse again dashed by him in hot haste to his home about two
miles back. Early in the morning of Friday a farmer named John Vincent
came into town, and reported that one of his horses had been used by the
robbers during the night.