During his stay he had purchased a pony from
a Crow Indian, and while he was at the cantonment he rode into Billings
and bought a Sharp's repeating rifle, after which he had mounted his
horse and rode off in the direction of Fort Custer. He had remained away
several days when he again returned to the cantonment, and after
remaining there one night, he had started on horseback for Bozeman and
Helena.
This was authentic and gratifying intelligence. Manning had received not
only reliable information as to the movements of Duncan, but the
distance between them had been materially lessened by the fugitive's
long detention at the cantonment. The burglar was now but a few days
ahead of him, and if nothing transpired to delay him, he would soon
overtake the man, who, from all indications, was entirely unsuspicious
of the fact that a detective was upon his track who had followed his
trail as closely and as unerringly as the Indian follows the track of
the beast through forest and stream. As an additional means of
identification, Manning secured a full description of the horse
purchased by Duncan, and with this increased fund of information,
Manning returned to Billings. On the following morning, seated beside
the driver on the top of the stage-coach, and behind four dashing bay
horses, Manning rattled out of the pushing little town of Billings on
his way to Bozeman.
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