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.