gun he is going to kill them. Most of the rest have the samefeeling about Jesse. They all fear him, yet he has a strange markedinfluence over them. It seems to inspire the gang with a certain trust,respect, and blind obedience to his commands."
"Hello! what's that? See there?"
"What?" asked Timberlake in startled tones.
Jack pointed down the street.
A great cloud of dust was rising there.
People were scattering right and left, and as it drew nearer, Jackdistinguished a huge coal black horse bestrode by a man who rode himfuriously.
"What is it, Timberlake--a madman?"
"It looks like a horse running away."
"The man rides it as if he were part of the animal."
"Heavens, what speed! See--here he comes!"
Like wildfire the rider came thundering along.
In a few moments he was in plain sight.
"Some drunken countryman on the rampage!" muttered Jack.
"That fellow will kill somebody yet."
"When he goes by let us stroll over to the bank, and quietly warn theclerks of Jesse James' plot to put them on their guard. Then they willbe ready for him."
"It's too late to do that now."
"Why so?"
"Because that rider is Jesse himself!"
Jack shot a keen glance at the man, and a startled cry escaped him, forthe horse was certainly the famous Siroc and the rider the king of thebandits!
"What's his purpose, Timberlake?" gasped Jack.
"Perhaps he is pursued. See--he clutches two revolvers, and the wildvillain is holding the bridle rein with his teeth.
"He's heading for the bank!"
"Come on!"
They rushed from their covert.
Jesse's quick eyes detected them instantly.
Raising a whistle to his lips, he blew a shrill blast.
It was his usual signal to the gang and they understood it, and mountedupon their horses, came galloping out of the by streets and other placeswhere they had been concealed.
The whole armed crowd headed for the bank.
They thus cut off Jack and the sheriff.
To everybody's surprise, the moment Siroc arrived opposite the door ofthe bank, Jesse turned him and sent him galloping right into thebuilding.
Pausing before the paying teller's window, Jesse thrust his two pistolsthrough, causing the man to yell and recoil.
"Hand me every bundle of bills in that draw before you!" roared thebandit. "Quick, or I'll fire!"
"No--no--no!" gasped the startled man.
"I'll make you!"
And--bang! went his pistol.
The bullet grazed the clerk's head.
"I'm killed!" he screamed.
"No, you ain't, but you will be if you don't obey."
"For God's sake, don't fire again!"
"Will you give me that money?"
The cruel, wicked eyes were now turned upon the man in a manner thatmade him writhe.
He saw that his doom was sealed unless he complied without wasting anymore time about it.
So out came the money.
There were stacks of it--hundreds of dollars.
The bandit kept the paying teller covered with one hand, and with theother transferred the money to his saddle bag.
"Now, go!" he shouted.
Then he began to blaze away.
All the clerks dodged under the desk to escape the flying bullets.
Having emptied one of his pistols, and intimidated them, the bandit kingspoke to his steed.
Siroc turned and went thundering out to the street.
There an exciting scene was going on.
The gang, to cover Jesse's movements, had begun to fire their pistolsright and left, and the people in the streets and houses and storeshastily made themselves scarce.
As soon as Jesse emerged, they closed in around him, dug spurs in theiranimals, and went clattering away.
Jack and Timberlake had been baffled.
They witnessed the daring robbery.
Seeing that it was impossible to get through the lines of the bandits tostop it, Jack signaled his friends.
No response came back.
Fearing trouble for the Terror they rushed away.
She was where they had left her, but Tim and Fritz had alighted, goneaway and were only just then returning.
"What's up?" panted Jack.
"Wood Hite escaped! We've been chasin' him!" Tim replied.
"Too bad! But never mind---"
"Vot's all dot shootin'?"
"The James Boys--they've beaten us!"
"Whar is they?"
"Running away! Get aboard--arm yourselves!"
"Goin' arter 'em, lad?"
"Yes; don't lose a minute!"
All hands hastily got aboard the stage.
Jack mounted the seat and sent her rushing out.
As soon as she reached the street Jack sent her flying in pursuit of thefugitives.
The bandits soon saw her chasing them.
CHAPTER XVIII.IN DEAD MAN'S GULCH.
The sun was gleaming down brightly as the cavalcade of bandits wentthundering out of Husking Valley chased by the electric stage.
A cloud of dust was kicked up by the horses' hoofs which almost obscuredthe riders from view.
Jack steered the machine with the greatest precision, and Fritz camethrough the forward door and joined him.
"How did Wood Hite get free to escape?" asked the inventor.
"Ach, he didn'd got free, His hants vos died behint his beck yet,"replied Fritz. "Me and Dim vos sittin' oud here, vaitin' tet hear yersicknal. Puddy soon ve hear somepody behint dot stages, und see VoodHite had got oud der beck door. He vas runnin' avay. Ve runt afder him.But vhen ve got down der streed, ve don'd see nodding ohf him. Heditsappeared."
"Couldn't you find him?"
"Nein. Ve ditn'd couldt seen vhere he vented."
"I'm sorry, for I wished to put him behind the bars!"
"Nefer mindt," said Fritz. "Ve mebbe caughted more ohf dem."
"I hope so. Anyway, we are pretty close to them now."
"So dey gotted der money from der pank?"
"Jesse rode into the building on horseback and looted it single-handed."
"Dot son-ohf-a-sea-ghooks vos got blenty spunks alretty!"
"Too much for the safety of the public. I'd sooner arrest himindividually than his whole gang put together."
"Dot vould preak dem up!"
"That's just my impression."
In a few moments the town was left behind and the horse-men galloped outinto the open country over a rocky tract.
There the horses had an advantage over the Terror, as they could picktheir way over the rough ground.
A fearful jolting and rattling of the stage ensued, and Jack was forcedto slacken speed.
That gave the fugitives an advantage.
They quickly gained a long lead, for Jack had to zigzag the Terror inand out among the stones.
She kept falling farther and still further behind.
Some distance beyond the rocky place Jack caught view of a prairiecovered with brush and long dry grass.
It renewed his hope, and he remarked confidentially:
"Once we reach that place we'll soon catch up to them."
"I don't tink so," answered Fritz, who was watching the bandits.
"Why don't you?"
"See vot dey vos doin'!"
A chill of dismay passed over the inventor, for he now saw the banditssetting fire to the long grass.
The wind was blowing toward the Terror.
That kept the fire burning in her direction, while the bandits gallopedaway from it, setting fire to it as they proceeded.
In a short space of time there was a roaring wall of flame and smokeopposed to the Terror.
In order to prevent Jack from coming in on a flank, the outlaws, spreadout like a fan, and kept dropping lighted matches into the combustiblegrass.
It did not take long to
thus create such a wide barrier that the Terrorcould not hope to get around it in time to overtake the miscreants.
Jack stopped her short.
Clouds of spark-laden smoke were being swept into their faces by thewind, and an intense heat was generated.
"Fritz, we are thwarted."
"Donner vetter! Dey cover deir redreat vell!"
"We can't remain here; those flames will roast us."
"Make a large circle vunct."
"That's the only way," said Jack, starting the Terror.
She now ran off at an angle, and the flames swept to the rocky sectionand burned out.
There was not enough grass there to keep tha fire going, but behind thefirst avalanche of flame came another.
It was, therefore, impossible to chase the bandits