COMMITTEE OF INVESTIGATION, ETC. 
203 
may, sufficient time was given by the delay for our friend to make 
good his escape, and in the intricacies of the ravines find a safe 
retreat. 
The same day another of the fugitives was sitting on the side 
of the hill above us, and did not perceive the -troops until they 
were just upon him. He immediately started for our house, the 
sheriff calling, “ Stop, or I ’ll shoot you ! ” Quickening his pace, 
he replied, “ Shoot then ! ” and was soon at the house. As he 
passed through the back room, whose doors were opposite, he said, 
“ I want to leave my rifle here, for I can’t run with it.” 
The troops were in sight; there was only time for me to ask, 
“ Will they take rifles if they see any here?” and for him to 
reply, “ Yes, the sheriff may order them to.” 
As the dragoons came so far down the hill that the house ob¬ 
structed their vision of what was passing beyond, he slipped down 
the side hill north of us, and entered a little house, partly built, at 
the base. His wife, learning of his whereabouts, carried him his 
dinner, which he was leisurely enjoying, when the six prisoners, 
escorted by some eight or ten dragoons, passed by, on their way 
to Lecompton. 
As soon as he left the house, we saw the troops, with Salters at 
their head, were fast coming, and E. and I stowed away the rifles, 
— several being in the house, as the guard were again on their 
watch at night. I called to E., who was noting their progress then, 
and asked, “ Are they really coming ? ” 
‘ Yes, they have taken the road leading to the house.” 
“ Will I have time to change my dress ? ” The question was 
prompted by a desire to appear in proper costume before such 
dignitaries. 
She replied, “ Ho ; ” but had scarcely pronounced the word, 
before she said, “ They are not coming. Salters has turned his 
horse down the hill.” Running to the window, there they were,— 
President Pierce’s army of subjugation,-—going into the prairies. 
Salters had concluded to postpone his call upon us until some 
other day. 
The next morning, before all of us had eaten breakfast, some 
who had come in late, and spent the night, thought they could 
