Boys?"
"Certain. I did not get very near them, but noticed that one wore aheavy beard and the other a mustache. They had on riding boots, with thelegs of their pants tucked in the tops, flannel shirts and soft felthats, while around their waists were buckled cartridge belts into whichwere thrust a knife and brace of revolvers a piece."
"Does that description tally with the general appearance of the JamesBoys?" asked Jack.
"Yes. I am sure it was them."
The young inventor put on full voltage.
It caused the motor to fairly buzz, and the Terror shot ahead along theroad with the velocity of an express train.
She rapidly bore down upon the fugitives.
It was a long and exciting chase, though, for Siroc and Jim Malone werewonderfully fleet horses.
Several miles were thus covered.
Finally, though, the machine drew close to the two riders.
"Halt!" shouted Jack.
Casting a quick glance back the riders obeyed.
So suddenly did they pull up their steeds, that they rose on theirhaunches and pawed the air.
The four inmates of the Terror had them covered with their rifles, andwhen the horses came down and wheeled around, a shout of chagrin escapedTimberlake.
"Duped!"
"What do you mean?" asked Jack, in surprise.
"They ain't the James Boys."
"Sure enough. But the horses belong to the bandits."
"Yes; that's how I was deceived. Now I see through it. I've beentricked. I really chased Jesse and Frank from the tunnel. They put thesemen on their horses and hid, while their two men rode off to decoy usfrom the spot so they could escape."
Such was really the way it happened.
Jack had stopped the Terror, and now shouted to the two men, who werepart of the James Boys' gang.
"Throw your hands up!"
Both men obeyed.
"Don't fire!" pleaded one of them.
"That depends on how you answer me."
"What do you want to know, sir?"
"You just heard our version of how the James Boys eluded us?"
"We did, sir."
"Is it correct?"
"Yes."
"Are you members of their gang?"
"We are."
"Where have they gone!"
"I refuse to tell you!"
"Your life depends upon it."
"I don't care. I won't betray them."
"Fool! I will count three. If you don't answer, we'll fire!"
"Go ahead!" was the defiant reply.
"One!" exclaimed Jack.
The two bandits did not flinch.
"Two!" sternly cried the inventor.
Still the men stubbornly refused to speak.
"Three!"
A deathly silence ensued for a moment.
Then the weapons in the hands of our friends were discharged.
CHAPTER VI.SHADOWING A LONE HORSEMAN.
Although there was a tacit understanding among the crew of the Terror tofire over the heads of the two bandits to frighten them they imaginedthat they were to be shot down in cold blood.
It electrified them.
An instant before Jack gave the order to fire they plunged their spursinto the flanks of the horses.
One animal sprang to the right and the other to the left.
It was done like lightning.
Both steeds were well trained.
Siroc cleared a hedge and wheeling to the right went flying back in thedirection he came from, while Jim Malone went thundering in among somerocks and vanished.
Both bandits imagined they had a narrow escape from death, although thefact was they had been in no danger at all of being shot from theirhorses.
Our friends burst out laughing.
"Badly scared," said Jack.
"Oh, Lord, wot cowards!" Tim chuckled.
"Ain't they likely to return to the James Boys?" asked the sheriff.
"Dot vas more as likely," agreed Fritz. "If dem vas der Chames Poys'horses vunct, dey vill back by deir owners go, don't it?"
Jack peered around.
At some distance off to the south was a forest.
He caught view of both horses plunging into it.
"That settles our pursuit of them!" he exclaimed, in disgust. "We can'tfollow them among those trees, and as they seem to realize it, they'vetaken advantage of the timberland."
"We might keep a watch upon the woods anyway," suggested Timberlake."They are bound to come out somewhere sooner or later. If we can getupon their track we may yet force them to lead us to the bandits'rendezvous."
"It won't hurt to follow the plan," assented Jack; "for we haven't theremotest idea where to look for the villains."
He thereupon steered the Terror toward the trees, and as Fritz was agood cook and had charge of the culinary arrangements, he set aboutgetting their supper ready.
It was a waste of time to guard the forest.
Several days passed by and nothing was seen of the two men.
They had gone straight through the timberland at a gallop, and emergingon the other side, rode rapidly away.
Jack and his friends had therefore been watching and hunting for a merephantom, as it were.
The young inventor quickly arrived at this conclusion, and on theevening of the third day he said to Tim:
"It's my opinion that there isn't anyone at all in the woods, and I'mgoing to give up the watch and move on."
"Ay, ay, that's ther bes' plan. I quite agree wi' yer, lad."
"Those fellows would not be foolish enough to remain in that forest allthis time for nothing."
"If they wuz thar, I'm mighty sure as we'd a sighted somethin' o' themlong afore this, my hearty. I recollect when I wuz in ther navy how Iwuz once fooled this way. Yer see we'd been chasin' one o' ther enemy'sships, an' drove her into a lagoon. Thar we pounded her with our guns,an' ther crew desarted her, an' went ashore. We sunk ther ship, an'mannin' ther boats, we pulled ashore arter ther crew. We found thershore lined with cliffs a thousand feet high. Thar wus no coast, thatwater beatin' up again ther base o' ther cliffs on all but therseaward side o' ther lagoon. There wuz one indentation in the cliffs,covered wi' trees an' bushes, inter which ther hull crew went an' hid.Waal, sir, we landed thar, an' beat about lookin' fer 'em. Thar wuzn'tno possible way fer 'em ter git away unseen, with ther water in front,them high cliffs surroundin' 'em on three sides, an' only a small ploto' ground filled wi' trees an' bushes fer 'em to hide in. So yer see wewuz sure o' catchin' 'em. Yet, when we'd sarched ther hull place not asign o' them wuz ter be found! They'd wanished as complete as if therarth had swallered 'em up. Now wuzn't that a worry mysteriousperceedin'?"
As Tim asked this, he refreshed himself with a chew of tobacco.
Jack did not reply.
He had his glance fixed upon the woods.
Taking it for granted that he had aroused the curiosity of the younginventor to fever heat, Tim continued:
"Waal, sir, everybody wuz puzzled cept me. Wot had become o' themlubbers wasn't werry plain. Howsome ever, when they gave up huntin' Imade up my mind as I'd locate ther fugitives. Goin' over ter ther cliffI examined ther face of it, an' found a trap door. Openin' it, I entereda cave. Thar they was, armed wi' rifles, pistols, cutlasses and knives,an' ten o' them sprung ter thar door astarn o' me ter cut off my retreatwhile ther rest aimed thar weapings at me. Did I run? No, sir. Wot did Ido? Stood. Wot happened then? Pointin' my finger at 'em I ses,surrender yer swabs, or I'll blow yer brains out! All o' them wuz soskeerd o' my threat they begged fer mercy. An' ther joke of it wuz, Ididn't hev no pistol neither. It wuz so dark in ther cave yer couldn'tsee ther smellin' tackle on yer figger head, an in that gloom theymistook my finger fer a gun. Waal, sir, in less'n two minutes I madeprisoners o' ther fifty men, an' marched them out ter my messmates intriumph. Now how wuz that fer a bloodless wictory?"
And with a triumphant grin Tim turned to Jack.
The young inventor made no answer.
"He must be struck dumb with astonishment!" thought Tim.
Then he seized Jack by the arm and shook him.
"Say, my lad, how wuz that fer a wictory?" he asked.
"What victory?" asked Jack, rousing from a deep reverie.
"That one I jist told yer about, o' course."
"Did you tell us about something?"
"Of course I did. Didn't yer like ther yarn?"
"I didn't hear a word of it. I've been thinking."
Tim groaned.
Jack's answer crushed him.
"Oh, gee!" he gasped. "I've been a-talkin' ter myself!"
Jack burst out laughing at him, when he realized into what a ridiculousposition Tim had placed himself.
Unable to bear it, the old sailor retreated into the stage.
Jack then turned the Terror away from the forest, and sent her flyingacross the rolling country.
He had come to the conclusion to make inquiries at the nearest town forinformation about where the James Boys had last been seen terrorizingthe community.
It was his hope to thus get on their trail.
The gloom of night fell.
Heavy, dark banks of clouds covered the sky.
The electric stage finally reached an alluvial bottom, through whichwound a broad deep creek.
Here she went among a dense growth of bushes, and Fritz served anexcellent supper.
While the rest were partaking of the meal Jack remained on duty, andsuddenly caught view of a lone horseman moving slowly along the bank ofthe creek like a shadow.
As quick as a flash Jack turned a switch, putting out the lights.
He could barely discern the horseman, and did not remove his glance fromhim for an instant.
Jack was suspicious of the man.
It did not seem likely to him that any honest wayfarer could bewandering along that unfrequented section of the country at night,acting in such a stealthy manner.
At all events he made up his mind to keep the man in view without beingseen himself.
He therefore graded the speed of the terror to accord with that of thewalking horse, and kept along the clearest ground he could distinguishin the gloom.
The sudden extinguishing of the lights alarmed Jack's friends, andbrought them to the front room with a rush.
"Vot's der droubles?"
"Anything happened?"
"Is ther lamps injured, my lad?"
These three questions were discharged at him together.
Jack gave a warning hiss, pointed ahead, and said:
"I've just spotted a horseman ahead, boys."
"Who he vos?" eagerly asked Fritz, peering out.
"I haven't got the least idea."
"Be yer follerin' him?"
"Yes, Tim. Ha! there he goes!"
The rider had turned abruptly to the left, out across the course of theTerror, and headed for a mass of trees, rocks and bushes, that formed ahollow near the creek side.
Jack stopped the machine.
He had caught view of a gleaming light ahead.
It came from a camp-fire down in the hollow, and flung a lurid glow uponthe scene around.
Timberlake gave a slight start and now said:
"Do you know that the James Boys generally prefer to make their camp injust such hollows as this is?"
"Is that so?" asked Jack. "Then you have an idea that by following thelone horseman we have accidentally run into the outlaw's encampment?"
"Yes, sir."
"Well, I'm going ahead to see."
"I'll go with you, if you like."
"Very well; arm yourself."
They procured a pair of deadly pneumatic rifles and revolvers of Jack'sinvention that hurled explosive ballets.
Then they left the stage in Tim's care.
Alighting, they crept toward the hollow.
In a few minutes they reached it.
The lone horseman had disappeared.
Jack and the sheriff proceeded with the caution of two cats, and slowlyworked their way down into the hollow.
They presently neared the fire, when a startling scene met their view.
CHAPTER VII.THE SHERIFF'S MISFORTUNE.
Jack and Timberlake had reached the bottom of the verdure clad hollow,and were lurking behind a clump of bushes.
It was darker down there, if possible, than it had been above, but theruddy glow of the camp-fire lit up a patch in the scene.
Around the fire were grouped a dozen ruffians, among whom Jackrecognized the two James Boys.
Among the others were Jim Cummins, Wood Hite, Clell Miller, Cole Youngerand his three brothers, John, Jim and Bob, Dick Little, Jack Keene, EdMcMillan, Bill Chadwell, Hobbs Kerry, Charley and Bob Ford and Oll andGeorge Shepard.
The horses belonging to the gang, most of which had been stolen, weretethered to the nearby tree.
An exciting dialogue was going on among the bandits, and Jack and thesheriff heard Jesse say:
"Yes, Timberlake has got the Governor at Liberty to league Jack Wrightagainst us. It's been hard enough to fight the sheriff's posse and themilitary reserve but it's going to be a blamed sight harder to get thebest of that inventor. Wright owes me a grudge. He has soured on me fordoing him out of that $5,000 in Wrightstown."
"That machine of his'n must be a wonder," said one of the men.
"You have no idea what a dangerous article it is," promptly repliedJesse, with a fierce expletive. "Ripley and Barker had a taste of it,though, when the machine chased them on Siroc and Jim Malone. It wasawful the way the electric engine overhauled them, I can tell you. Ouronly salvation now lies in leading them to places where the Terror can'trun."
"If Barker hadn't put on false whiskers to look like you and if I hadn'tfixed myself up to resemble Frank," spoke up one of the men, "wewouldn't have no Wright after us. But seeing us on your horses increasedthe deception so that we had no trouble about the matter. You shouldhave seen how disgusted they were when they discovered how we fooledthem."
"No doubt," said Frank, with a grim smile.
"What are you going to do about the hold-up to-night, Jesse?" asked JimCummins impatiently. "We've arranged to meet here and settle the wholematter and not gab about things of no interest to the case."
"There's plenty time," quietly replied the bandit king.
Jack squeezed Timberlake's arm.
"They're going to lay a plot!" he whispered.
"We'll hear the whole thing," replied the sheriff.
"Perhaps we can baffle them."
"Yes, if they give themselves away."
"Then we can't attack them now."
"Not if they have got work in view. If we should tackle them now wemight not fustrate any game they might play when they get away. We can'texpect to scoop the whole gang you know. Some would be bound to escape."
"Well, we'll hear what they have to say anyhow."
"Of coarse. We can grade ourselves according to circumstancesafterward," whispered Timberlake cautiously.
The gang had been drawning closer around Jesse.
When they were close enough, the bandit rose, and said:
"Boys, we've got a big haul in view for to-night."
"What is it, anyway?" demanded Miller.
"An express package on the M. & M. road, which will go through on themidnight express, it's worth $10,000."
Whistles and exclamations of surprise and delight escaped the gang.
This was something unusually rich.
Besides they were all pretty hard up.
"Let's hear about it," said Cole Younger.
"Well, I was in Kansas City and there learned that the Fourth NationalBank sends a keg of $10,000 in gold coin on the tenth of each month, tothe banking firm of Bradford & Co., in Springfield, Illinois. That trainwill reach a point between Polo and Cowgill, according to thetimetable, shortly after midnight. As it is the only train which carriesan express car bound for Springfield, it must be the one we are after."
"That's fair to presume," said Fr
ank.
"We had better stop it and see!" Jesse exclaimed. "We can hold it up atthe curve, and as there's a dense mass of bushes on each side of thetrack, you all can conceal yourselves there until I get the carsstopped. Then an attack can be made upon the passengers, while I andseveral others get into the express car after the keg of money."
A plan of operations was then agreed upon.
When they finished, Jack whispered to the sheriff:
"There are three things we can now do. One is to attack the banditshere; the next is to notify the railroad people to look out for them;and the last is to let them attempt to carry out their plan and raidthem in the act. Now, what shall we do?"
Timberlake pondered.
He wanted to avoid making any mistake.
Finally he muttered:
"If we were to run away to the railroad to apprise the company,something might happen that would delay us. Then the villains couldcarry out their purpose anyway. We can't do that. Now if we tackle themhere, some of them are apt to give us the slip, an' do the job in spiteof us. I think it will be safer to let them go to the rendezvous, andtry to stop the cars. Then we can sail into them, and frustrate theirplans."
"I quite agree with you," said Jack.
"Then let us return to the Terror."
Creeping silently away, they were getting safely out of the hollow, whensuddenly a sentry came along, and almost stumbled over them.
"Hello!" he roared. "Who goes there?"
"Caught!" gasped the sheriff bounding to his feet.
"Timberlake!" groaned the man, recognizing him. "Hey! Help! Help!"
He yelled furiously.
The sheriff sprang at him like a tiger.
"Shut up!" he hissed, grappling the bandit.
"A spy! A spy!" howled the guard, wildly.
He clung to the sheriff with all his might, and they fell struggling tothe ground, locked in a tight embrace.
Jack was startled.
He heard the gang rushing toward them.
"Can you manage him?" he panted.
"Yes--run!" replied the sheriff.
Thinking he might have to call his friends to help, Jack slipped awayunseen, and Timberlake might have gained the mastery of his opponent,had not the gang at that moment dashed up to them.
Surrounding him, they attacked the sheriff upon all sides, and in atwinkling made a prisoner of him.
He was knocked senseless, bound and gagged.
As soon as Jack found that the sheriff was not following him, he paused.
"I wonder if he's in trouble?" he muttered. "I can't go on this way. No!I'll return and see."
With this resolution he retraced his steps.
Reaching the spot where he had left Timberlake, he found that thesheriff had vanished.
Looking across the hollow, Jack saw the bandits mounting their horses.
He could just see them by the light of the camp-fire.
A moment afterward they went galloping out of the hollow, and he sawTimberlake a prisoner among them.
"They've captured him!" he muttered.
Jack's dismay increased.
He could not do anything single handed to save his friend, so he hurriedback to the electric stage.
"Hello!" called Tim, seeing him alone. "Whar's ther sheriff?"
"Caught by the James Boys," replied Jack.
_"Ach du lieber Gott!"_ gasped Fritz.
Jack hastily got aboard.
"We must chase them!" he exclaimed.
"Wuz them lubbers down in that 'ere holler?" asked Tim.
"Yes--the whole gang," replied Jack.
"Den dot feller by horses back vos van ohf dem?"
"He was, Fritz, and a nice plot they have formed."
"Wot is it?" asked Tim.
The inventor briefly explained.
When he finished he sent the stage ahead.
Tim and Fritz armed themselves, to be prepared for trouble, and theysped along the course of the creek.
Nothing was seen of the bandits for some time.
They had gone several miles in this manner from the place whereTimberlake was captured, when the moon suddenly burst from behind acloud bank.
Just then Jack uttered a stifled cry.
"There they are!" he exclaimed.
"Whar?" eagerly asked Tim, peering out.
"Across the creek! See there!"
He pointed to the eastward and stopped the Terror.
A league away rode a large body of horsemen, and as Jack leveled a glassat them, he saw that there was no mistake about the matter--they werethe James Boys' gang.
"How ve get across dot streams ter shase dem?" asked Fritz.
"That's what worried me," replied Jack. "I can't see a means anywhere.It's bound to delay us. Before we can do anything for Timberlake, theymay kill him."
"Ay, ay, an' wot's more," added Tim, "they may reach ther railroad an'stop them cars afore we kin stop them."
"What a pity that I did not have a pair of air cylinders under thisstage!" regretfully said Jack. "We could then have floated her acrossthe stream."
He noted the direction the bandits were pursuing, and sent the Terrorrunning along again.
Tim and Fritz maintained an anxious lookout in the meantime for anopportunity of getting over the creek.
CHAPTER VIII.HOLDING UP A TRAIN.
"Midnight!"
"Dere vos der roat."
"Ay, but whar's the bandits?"
The Inventor had been obliged to run the Terror to the headwaters of thecreek ere they were able to pass the stream.
Considerable time had thus been lost.
Indeed, it was twelve o'clock before they reached the railroad track ata point between Polo and Cowgill.
"The question is, has the train passed?" said Jack.
"Ve ditn'd seen nodding ohf her yet," replied Fritz.
"Ay, but that ain't no sign as it didn't pass," growled Tim, as he tooka chew of tobacco. "I recollect when I wuz in the navy how we startedfer ther rendezvous o' a enemy's ship---"
"I won't listen!" exclaimed Jack, with a frown.
"Waal, I'll tell Fritz," said Tim, in nowise abashed. "Yer see it wuzsich a dark night we missed ther spot, which was a lagoon, on the coasto' Georgie---"
"Try ub!" roared Fritz.
"I'll be blowed if I will!"
"I don'd vant ter hear dot yarn."
"I don't keer if yer don't. Ter continer: But although we missed therlagoon in ther gloom, an runned inter a leetle bay, our enemy did thersame. Thar we had him. Gee whiz, how we socked it ter him! He sailedaroun' and aroun' ther bay, an' we arter him. I manned ther long Tom,an' pickin' 'em out one by one, I gave it ter each o' ther crew---"
"For Heaven's sake, stop!" cried Jack.
"Wot fer?"
"How could you see in the dark?"
"Why, every time I fired ther moon popped out, an' as soon as I stoppedit hid itself agin," explained Tim, "Waal, sir, arter ther crew o' thatship surrendered, wot d'yer s'pose?"
"Ve don't vos tink noddings!" roared Fritz.
"But I wants yer ter, I'll tell yer. We diskivered as ther ship wot wewuz firin' at wazn't no enemies wessel at all. It wuz our own consort,an'---"
"Oh, you old liar! You positively asserted it was your enemy---"
"But I wuz mistooken. I---"
Bang!
A startling report rang out.
It came from beneath the stage.
The Terror stopped.
"By jingo, she's broken!" gasped Jack.
"How?" asked Tim, forgetting his yarn.
"It must be in the truck."
"Himmel! How ve go ahet now ter safe dot drain?"
Jack alighted.
He quickly examined the gear.
"It's one of the driving rods snapped in two!" he cried, finally.
"Kin ye fix it, my lad?"
"I don't know till I take it off. We are crippled."
He got a wrench and unfastened the bolts, took off the two pieces, andthen
saw that the rim of one of the wheels had picked up a long stonewhich flew around with it.
It jammed between the body of the stage and one of the spokes, and thesudden shock had caused the rod to snap.
Just as Jack examined it, he heard the distant tooting of a locomotivewhistle, momentarily drawing nearer.
"Here comes the express now!" he exclaimed.
"Kin yer git her ready in time?"
"No. It will take an hour to fix this."
_"Donner und blitzen!_ Dey holt her ub!"
"No doubt of it."
"We must do somethin', my lad."
"Arm yourselves, if you're anxious. Don your metal suits. We'll followthe train. She must be nearing the curve to whistle like that. Hurry up,and we'll leave the Terror here."
They all put on suits of aluminum mail and armed themselves.
Then they ran at full speed along the track in the direction from whencethe whistle sounded.
The moon was then flooding the scene.
Far ahead the polished rails described a curve in a wide, deep cut,filled with trees and shrubbery.
In the middle of the north-bound track stood Jesse James waving a redlantern to an oncoming train, the headlight of which was blazing uponthe bandit king with a silvery glow.
Jesse had a black mask on, and clutched a revolver in his hand.
None of the men were visible.
The train had slackened speed to round the curve, and as soon as theengineer saw the danger signal he stopped the cars.
"Hello!" he cried, "What's the matter?"
"Rail broken!" replied Jesse, approaching the cab.
"Here comes the conductor."
"I'll speak to him about it. Come down."
"Can't. It's against the rules for me to leave the caboose."
The conductor and several brakemen had alighted and now came