The remainder of that day and the following night were spent in

fruitless efforts to determine the whereabouts of the fugitive.

Telegrams were sent along the various railway lines into every part of

the State; messengers were despatched to neighboring towns and camps,

but all in vain. For the first thirty-six hours it seemed as though the

earth must have opened and swallowed him up; there was not even a clue

as to the direction in which he had gone.

The second morning after his disappearance reports began to come in from

a dozen different quarters of as many different men, all answering the

description given of the fugitive, who had been identified as the

criminal. Four or five posses, averaging a dozen men each, all armed,

set forth in various directions to follow the clews which seemed most

worthy of credence. For the next few days reports were constantly

received from one posse or another, to the effect that they were on the

right trail, the fugitive had been seen only the preceding night at a

miners' cabin where he had forced two men at the point of a revolver to

surrender their supper of pork and beans; or some lonely ranchman and

his wife had entertained him at dinner the day before. He was always

reported as only about ten hours ahead, footsore and weary, but at the

end of ten days they returned, disorganized, dilapidated, and disgusted,

without even having had a sight of their man.

Other bands were sent out with instructions to separate into squads of

three or four and search the ground thoroughly. Some of them were more

successful, in that they did, occasionally, get sight of the fugitive,

but always under circumstances disadvantageous to themselves. Three of

them stood one day talking with a rancher, who only two hours before had

furnished the man, under protest, with a hearty dinner and a fine rifle.

The rancher pointed out the direction in which he had gone, over a rocky

road leading down a steep, rough ravine; as he did so, his guest

appeared on the other side of the ravine, within good rifle range. A

mutual recognition followed; the men started to raise their rifles, but

the other was too quick for them. Covering them with the rifle which he

carried, he walked backward a distance of about forty yards and then,

with a mocking salute, disappeared. Bloodhounds were next employed, but

the man swam and waded streams and doubled back on his own trail till

men and dogs were alike baffled. This continued for about two months;

then all reports regarding the man ceased; nothing was heard of him, it

was surmised that he had reached the "Pocket," and all efforts at

further search were for the time abandoned.

Of all those concerned in the efforts for his capture there was not one

more thoroughly disgusted with the outcome than Mr. Britton. For months

he had had this man under surveillance, convinced that he was a criminal

and planning to bring about his capture. Through his own efforts he had

been identified, and by his coolness and presence of mind he had

accomplished his arrest when nine out of ten others would have failed,

and all seemed now to have been effort thrown away. He regretted the

man's escape the more especially as he felt that his own life, as well

as that of his son, was endangered so long as he was at liberty.




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