midniofht.
Guided by a big negro the majority of the fugitives sought the mountain range to the east, but shortly after, small parties were reported at various points, demanding food and clothes, or obliging some black- smith to remove their irons. Some appeared at an Ind- ian camp, where two assumed the dress of the warriors, and a third donned the habiliments of a female aboriginal. The commiseration of a ranchero was ex- cited by meeting a man devoid of all clothing save his drawers, shivering before the piercing wind which swept the valley during the night. A party of six came upon a German charcoal burner, and tying him to a tree they made off with his four horses. In this position he was found six hours later by pursuing citi- zens, muttering vengeance loud and deep.
Despite the pressure of hunger and weakness from long confinement the convicts baffled their pursuers for a long time, while reports of robberies and murders poured in from all directions. After a reprehensible delay of eight days a reward was offered of $200 or $300 per head. This proved an incentive, and sev- eral captures were made, although not without desper- ate encounters wherein three citizens lost their lives. In one place three ranchmen followed four armed con- victs, and watching their opportunity they covered them with rifles. The prisoners offered the tempting bribe of $2,500, to be released, assuring the captors that a secret message to a certain person would be re- sponded to by a masked man, who should pay the money. Although tempted to secure this accomplice, and perhaps the money, the captors preferred the surer reward of $900. The story was commented upon as indicating powerful coadjutors, and the inac- tion of the deputy warden during the melee was se- verely criticised.
At 3 o'clock p. M. the 28th of October, 1877, an- other break occurred in the Nevada state prison which narrowly escaped being a serious aflair. A deputy warden, Matthewson, on entering the shoe-
