n't expect to find these
fellows on the main thoroughfare. They are probably now going down the
Missouri in a canoe." Nothing more occurred until we arrived at the
lower town postoffice, where we again stopped to change the mails.

Let me here state that the man in front of me was the Frenchman, and the
man on the front seat with the driver was the German, the deserting
thieves. The Frenchman was slight of build, but the German was a
powerful fellow, and had in his hand a double-barrelled shotgun. I, of
course, had no idea of their identity at this time; but they, and
especially the Frenchman, knew me perfectly well, having frequently seen
me about the garrison. They had construed my anxiety to go on the stage
into the belief that I knew them, and was after them, and had made my
remark to the sheriff as a mere blind connected with some other scheme
for their capture. It must have been a trying ordeal for the man in
front of me, who was evidently watching my every move, and feeling the
weight of his guilt, supposed I knew all about it.

While we were waiting the change of mail at Lower Le Sueur, the deputy
sheriff asked me to get out of the stage, and said to me: "Major [I was
called major in those days], had we not better take another look at
those fellows in the stage? They are going out of the country when
everybody is coming in. It looks to me suspicious." I agreed with him,
and took another look. I at once discovered that they were both dressed
from head to foot in new slop-shop clothes, indicating the necessity for
an entire change of costume, and I concluded from this clue there were
sufficient grounds to suspect them. So the deputy sheriff said: "You
hold the stage ten or fifteen minutes, and I'll go to Henderson, and
take out a warrant, and arrest them on the arrival of the stage; so
that, if we are mistaken, no particular harm will be done." He started
on. I got my hand-bag out of the boot, and buckled on my six-shooter,
all of which was seen by the thieves, who must have fully understood the
program; at least, such must have been the case with the Frenchman, as
subsequent events led me to doubt whether the German was a participant
in the theft, or more than a mere deserter. I had a sense of uneasiness
about the double-barrelled shotgun carried by the German, but I thought
I could handle the other man. We started, and, much to my relief, when
we reached the ferry over the river, the German fired one barrel of h