JACK WRIGHT AND HIS ELECTRIC STAGE;
OR,
Leagued Against the James Boys.
By "NONAME,"
Author of "Jack Wright and His Electric Battery Diver," etc., etc.
THE BANDIT KING.
As the 11:30 A. M. express train from New York was speeding toward thefisher village of Wrightstown, one of the passengers went out on therear platform of the last car and intently gazed back along the rails.
He was a compactly built man, with rather rough clothing on, and thesoft felt hat on his head shaded a bearded face, which denoted a daring,reckless disposition.
A half smothered oath escaped his lips as he caught view of a locomotivechasing the train he was on, for he distinctly saw a man in the cab whomhe recognized as one of his worst enemies.
"Sheriff Timberlake!" he growled between his clenched teeth, as a darkscowl mantled his brow. "Curse him! he is hot after us now, and if heoverhauls this train he may give us no end of trouble."
"The skunk has followed us all the way from Missouri, and after we sawthe sights of New York, and gave him the slip, he must have discoveredthat we started for home in this train. Now he has evidently hired thatlocomotive to chase and capture us. I'll go in and tell the boys. Wemust keep out of his reach."
His anxiety was caused by observing that the pursuing locomotive wasslowly but surely gaining on the train.
Opening the door, he passed into the car.
It was occupied by four men, who were part of a gang of outlaws whom hecommanded, for the bearded man was the notorious bandit king, JesseJames.
The men who were with him were known as Jim Cummins, Wood Hite, ClellMiller and Frank James–a brother of Jesse.
Sitting in a bunch, they were quietly laughing and talking over theirexperience in New York, when the chief hurried in with a look of supremedisgust upon his face.
The moment the rest glanced up at him and saw it, they knew somethingout of the ordinary had happened.
"What's the matter, Jesse?" demanded Jim Cummins.
"You look as if you'd seen a ghost!" laughed Frank, jocularly.
"What sent you out on the rear platform!" asked Wood Hite.
"Timberlake is after us," said Jesse, with a steely glitter in his eyes.
"Thunder!" roared Clell Miller.
With one accord the quartet pulled revolvers from their pockets, boundedto their feet and sprang into the aisle.
A grim smile passed over the face of Jesse James for a moment, and as itfaded sway, he made as impatient gesture and said:
"He is on a locomotive that is chasing us."
"Sure!" asked Cummins, with a dubious look.
"I saw him in the caboose."
"Can he overtake us?" asked Frank.
"Eventually; but we mustn't let him."
"How can we prevent it?" queried Miller.
"By jumping off at the next curve and hiding."
"Good!" exclaimed Wood Hite, "Where's the curve?"
"Just before we reach Wrightstown."
"Let's get ready for it then," suggested Frank.
"All right," assented the bandit king; "but be careful that no onedetects us. To avoid being seen we must leave by the rear platform."
As he said this he thrust his head out the open window, and peeringahead, he studied the roadbed.
Satisfied with his scrutiny; he said to his companions:
"There's the curve about a mile ahead."
"Well?" demanded Cummins.
"The train is bound to slacken speed when it goes around. A mass oftimbe