When they came back an
hour or two later, they were surprised by the order to hold up
their hands. The half-breed obeyed at once, Finnigan hesitated
until Roosevelt walked in close, covering him with a rifle, and
repeated the command. Then he gave up.
But this was only the beginning of a long, hard task. It was often
the way to shoot such men at once, but Sheriff Roosevelt did not
like that. He was going to bring them back to jail. At night the
thieves could not be tied up, as they would freeze to death. So
Roosevelt, Sewall and Dow had to take turns in watching them at
night. After they started down river again, they found the river
blocked by ice, and had to camp out for eight days in freezing
weather. The food all but gave out, and at last there was nothing
left but flour. Bread made out of flour and muddy water and
nothing else, is not, says Mr. Roosevelt, good eating for a steady
diet. Besides they had to be careful of meeting a band of Sioux
Indians, who were known to be in the region.
At last they worked back to a ranch, borrowed a pony, on which
Roosevelt rode up into the mountains to a place where there was a
wagon. He hired this, with two broncos and a driver. Sewall and
Dow took the boats down the river, while Roosevelt set out on a
journey which took two days and a night, walking behind the wagon,
and guarding the three men.
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