Jack Wright and His Electric Stage;

off.

  Then Fritz rushed him into the next room.

  There he jammed the sailor and banged the door shut.

  "Dot seddles him!" he chuckled.

  As the door was locked they were spared the affliction of hearinganother of Tim's awful yarns for the time being.

  The Terror scoured the surrounding country for a week after that, butnothing was seen of the bandits.

  It was then decided to run to Independence and try to get someinformation from the authorities there by means of which they couldlocate the gang.

  According to this programme, the sheriff gave Tim the direction, and theold sailor steered the stage on her way.

  It was then very late in the afternoon.

  They followed a country road, and passing several wayfarers, theappearance of the Terror caused them the most intense astonishment.

  A few miles along the road they caught sight of an old fellow in a wagonloaded with grain.

  He looked like a farmer.

  There was no horse hitched to the vehicle.

  But the shafts were broken and to the stumps there yet clung the remainsof a broken harness.

  The old fellow was the picture of despair.

  He sat on top of his load, a whip in his hand and a big, red bandanahandkerchief in the other with which he was vigorously mopping hisforehead.

  Fritz was steering the Terror.

  Observing the forlorn countryman he burst out laughing.

  "Shiminey Christmas!" said he, "dot fellow vas look like as if he vasgot left behint mit his horse!"

  "What are you talking about?" Jack asked from inside.

  "Dot wagon in der roat."

  "Where?"

  "Ahet."

  Jack emerged.

  He saw the wagon.

  And he also noticed an old log house.

  He stood embowered among some trees, rocks, and bushes some distanceahead on the left hand side of the road.

  In a moment more the Terror reached the wagon, and halting beside it,the countryman glaring at it with a look of the most intenseastonishment upon his face.

  "For the lands sakes alive!" he gasped, "what's that thing?"

  "A stage that runs by electric power," Jack replied.

  "And what's the trouble with you, sir?"

  "I've been having an awful time with Eliza."

  "Eliza? Who is she?"

  "My mule."

  "Oh! It looks as if she had been cutting up tricks."

  "You'd ought to have seen her; consarn her old hide--and you'd havepitied me. She's the blamedest stubborn critter I ever seen. Once shegets her back up and quits, there's no use trying to go no farther. Lookat the way she left me."

  "Pretty sad sight."

  "I should say so. She took a sudden notion to stop right here, I coaxedand cajoled her, but she wouldn't budge. Then my dander riz, I spit onmy hands and hit her a whang on the tail, and she raised up her heelsand kicked out like a battering ram."

  "How unfortunate for you."

  "It made my blood bile. I then thumped blazes out of her. The more Isoaked her the wuss she kicked, until finally she kicked herself out ofthe harness and ran sway."

  "And left you here with your load?"

  "Yes, sir."

  "Have you got far to go?"

  "Only to yonder old log hut."

  "That isn't far."

  "No, not when you say it quick."

  "I'll tow you over there with this machine."

  "Will you? Oh, thank you! I was just going to ask you to do it!"

  "Is that all?"

  "Can you help me roll the wagon inside to protect the grain in case itrains before I can find Eliza again?"

  "Certainly we will," laughed Jack.

  They hitched a rope to the wagon, and the Terror hauled it over to thedoor of the old building.

  As the Terror could not get the wagon through the door, Jack and hiscompanions alighted; each one manned a wheel, and the farmer seized theshafts.

  Ahead they rolled it toward the open door.

  But scarcely had they got it started when a dozen men, with masks ontheir faces and pistols in their hands, rushed out of the building andsurrounded the four friends.

  "The James Boys!" gasped Jack, in startled tones.

  CHAPTER XIV.INTO THE QUICKSAND.

  It was evident to Jack that he and his friends had been the victims of avery shrewd game.

  The fact was, that the James Boys had a rendezvous in the log cabin, andhaving held up the farmer who owned the wagon, they had stolen hismoney, his mule, and his clothing.

  Seeing the Terror coming, Jesse concocted the scheme to trap ourfriends, rigged one of the gang in the farmer's clothes, and the gamewas played according to the bandit king's orders.

  It looked as if it was going to be a success, too.

  None of the Terror's crew were armed.

  And the outlaws had them covered with their weapons.

  "Yield!" roared Jesse.

  "We're tricked!" gasped Jack.

  "Hands up, or die!"

  "Don't fire! We submit!"

  There was no alternative.

  So the four raised their hands.

  "Bind them!" ordered the outlaw chief.

  His men carried out this order with alacrity.

  In a few moments more all were rendered helpless.

  A grim look of intense satisfaction swept over the dark bearded face ofJesse James as his four enemies lay upon the ground at his feet.

  He intently regarded them a moment and then hissed:

  "At last I've got you, Jack Wright!"

  "Well, what are you going to do about it?" coolly asked the inventor.

  "Put you out of my way as quick as possible."

  "Very well; proceed. You have an excellent chance now."

  "I've got your fate settled. And yours, too, Timberlake."

  "If our positions were reversed," bitterly said the sheriff, "I wouldnot lose a moment about blowing your brains out!"

  "I have no doubt of that," Jesse answered, with a dark scowl. "And I'llfollow your good advice. Prepare to die."

  He drew his pistol from his belt and aimed it at Timberlake.

  A tremor passed over the plucky fellow and he turned pale, for he knewhe was face to face with death; but his courage did not forsake him andhe quietly remarked:

  "I'm ready to go. Fire!"

  Before Jesse could do so. Frank sprang between him and his victim.

  "Fool!" he hissed, warningly. "Do you want to throw your neck in thehalter by doing this with all hands looking at you?

  "Get out of my way!" savagely replied Jesse.

  Although Frank was the eldest, and was accustomed to obeying his moredetermined brother, he did not do so in this instance.

  "If you don't stop," he exclaimed, in angry, excited tones, "I'll hityou."

  A look of surprise mantled Jesse's face.

  He was not accustomed to threats and disobedience from Frank.

  It therefore gave him a most emphatic shock.

  "Are you getting crazy?" he asked.

  "No--but you must be. Think of what you are doing."

  "The men have seen me bring down my man many a time."

  "Very true. But that was in a fight. Did they ever see you commit acool, deliberate murder?"

  This version startled Jesse.

  He returned the pistol to his belt.

  "You are right, Frank," said he, reluctantly. "I'll have to swallow myrage and hang or shoot these prisoners in accordance with the law ofcivilized communities."

  There was a bitter tinge of sarcasm in his tones as he said this, andturning abruptly to the men he said, brusquely:

  "Carry them into the hut."

  Timberlake felt relieved.

  So did Jack and the rest.

  If Frank had not interfered the sheriff would have been killed, for theysaw a lurking demon in the glare of Jesse's eyes when he was menacingTimberlake.

  He certainly, meant to carry out his mad intent
ion.

  The prisoners were carried into the hut.

  They saw the floor littered with saddles and bridles, blankets, cookingutensils and other objects of use to the bandits.

  As Jack leaned against the wall opposite the open door he saw thebandits go up to the electric stage and try to get in.

  The doors were secured with spring locks.

  As Jesse tried to open one he was startled to hear a gruff voice insideexclaim:

  "Stand back there or I'll drop a lighted match into a powder keg!"

  It was the parrot.

  He had once heard that sentence uttered.

  Now he used it at random, never knowing what it signified.

  But it was one of the luckiest expressions he ever made, for it startledthe bandits and they rushed away in alarm.

  "There are more people in the