Robbers and Sheep Wagons

On a recent visit to Faith, South Dakota, Gene Ulrich related a story that Neal Crowley once told him--

When Neal was about ten--this would have been about 1923--his dad, Tom, was watching a herd of sheep up north of the Moreau river. Neal was staying with him out on the prairie in an old sheep wagon. The river was high and swollen, and still had ice in it. Along towards sunset, a bandit named Kelly who had robbed a till down in Faith came riding up south of the river ahead of a posse of several men. Kelly rode right into the river, even though his horse sank up to his muzzle and had to swim. To keep the ice from slamming into the horse, Kelly held out both of his legs from the saddle to kick the big sheets away. When his horse got a sure footing and came up the near bank, the posse stopped on the south bank and refused to cross--judging the river to be too dangerous. That night, Kelly stayed with Tom and Neal in the sheep wagon along with his loot.