A mass meeting of the citizens was held the next morning, and a cordon of guards appointed to prevent the escape of the ruffians. When it was discovered that they had gone, on a call for volunteers to pursue them, Messrs. Lear, Higgins, Rockwell, and Davenport immediately followed on their track. The weather was intensely cold. The route of the pursuers lay over a lofty mountain range covered with snow to a great depth. After riding as rapidly as possible, they came up with the fugitives at a distance of twelve miles from town. They had taken refuge in a dense thicket of willows on the bank of the Rattlesnake. Being challenged to surrender, they peremptorily refused. Pointing their pistols with well-directed aim at the approaching party, and interlarding their discourse with a flood of oaths, they ordered them to advance no farther on peril of their lives. The advantage was on the side of the robbers, and they could easily have shot down every one of their pursuers. A parley ensued. The position of both parties was fully discussed. The conviction that it was equally impossible for the pursuers to effect a capture, and for the ruffians to escape such a pursuit as would be made if they did not return, induced the latter to agree to a surrender, upon the express condition that they should be tried by a jury. The pursuing party gave a ready assent to this arrangement, and the fugitives returned in their custody to town. Plummer was put upon his trial immediately. While that was progressing a messenger was sent to Godfrey’s Cañon, ten miles distant, to summon Mr. Godfrey and the writer, who, with others, were erecting a saw-mill there. Before our arrival at midnight, Plummer was acquitted, no doubt being entertained, on presentation of the evidence, that he had killed Cleveland in self-defence. Several witnesses testified that they had on various occasions heard Cleveland threaten to shoot Plummer on sight.