est to remain where we were at a hotel, and not go into the city until
that day. It certainly would not have been advisable for me to have gone
into Denver meantime--because I was well-known there, and if the thieves
had learned of my presence in the city they would at once have suspected
my business.

Early Saturday morning, we rode into town and stabled our horses at the
Elephant Corral. I secured a room from Ed. Chase, overlooking the corral,
and then took up my post of observation. I did not have long to wait, for
a man, whom I readily recognized as one of our old packers, rode into the
corral mounted upon Lieutenant Forbush's racing mule, and leading another
government mule, which I also identified. It had been recently branded,
and over the "U.S." was a plain "D.B." I waited for the man's companion
to put in an appearance, but he did not come, and my conclusion was that
he was secreted outside of the city with the rest of the animals.

Presently the black mule belonging to Forbush was put up at auction. Now,
thought I, is the time to do my work. So, walking through the crowd, who
were bidding for the mule, I approached the man who had offered him for
sale. He recognized me and endeavored to escape, but I seized him by the
shoulder, saying: "I guess, my friend, that you'll have to go with me. If
you make any resistance, I'll shoot you on the spot." He was armed with a
pair of pistols, which I took away from him. Then informing the
auctioneer that I was a United States detective, and showing him--as well
as an inquisitive officer--my commission as such, I told him to stop the
sale, as the mule was stolen property, and that I had arrested the thief,
whose name was Williams.

Farley and Green, who were near at hand, now came forward, and together
we took the prisoner and the mules three miles down the Platte River;
there, in a thick bunch of timber, we all dismounted and made
preparations to hang Williams from a limb, if he did not tell us where
his partner was. At first he denied knowing anything about any partner,
or any other stock; but when he saw that we were in earnest, and would
hang him at the end of the given time--five minutes--unless he
"squealed," he told us that his "pal" was at an unoccupied house three
miles further down the river.

We immediately proceeded to the spot indicated, and as we came within
sight of the house we saw our stock grazing near by. Just as we rode up
to the door, another one of