CONCLUSION.
Not until the shadows of night were falling did the desperate band halt
to make camp.
So far as they had been able to observe there had been no organized
pursuit of them attempted. But they knew full well that they would not
be permitted to escape without some effort being made to apprehend them.
But instead of following on south as they had started, Jesse after an
hour or so changed his course and turned due east, thus carrying them
away at right angles to the scene of their late operations. This, he
reasoned shrewdly would send any posse that might follow them, off on a
blind trail for a long distance before they discovered their mistake.
To accomplish this the men had to dismount and lead their horses up a
steep mountain side where the least misstep would have precipitated
them to certain death on the rocks below.
But the hard rocky sides of the mountain left no trail for the
mountaineers to follow.
It was with intense relief that the men dismounted after their trying
ride, and their appetites, whetted by the day's strenuous doings, were
soon satisfied with a hearty meal of bacon and potatoes, sizzling hot
from their improvised stone stove.
And by the light of the camp fire, Jesse and Frank spread out their
ill-gotten gains on a slab of rock.
The eyes of the bandits glowed avariciously as package after package of
bills was thrown out, to be followed by many bags of rich, yellow gold
dust.
A careful count of the money and a rough estimate of the gold dust was
made, Jesse figuring the total by marking on the slab of rock with a
sharp stone.
"How much?" asked Frank.
"It'll run better than a hundred thousand, I reckon," answered Jesse,
calmly.
The desperadoes gave a long, low whistle of surprise.
"I calkerlate I'd be willing to go hungry for three days any time
for such a bunch of the long green as that," averred Homely Harry
facetiously.
THE END.
Be sure to read the next story, JESSE JAMES MIDNIGHT ATTACK, or THE
BANDIT'S REVENGE ON THE VIGILANTES. In this story will be chronicled
a series of startling adventures in which the noted outlaw turns the
tables on the man-hunters who are on his trail, to their complete
undoing. It is No. 32 in the Adventure Series.
_TO THE READER._
Only in the _Adventure Series_ can you get the absolutely true and
authentic history of the lives and exploits of the
JAMES BOYS,
YOUNGER BROTHERS,
HARRY TRACY,
THE DALTON GANG,
RUBE BURROW,
and the other Notorious Outlaws of the Far West.
* * * * *
We are the authorized and exclusive publishers for Jesse James' only
son,
JESSE JAMES, JR.
and are the publishers of his great book,
JESSE JAMES, MY FATHER,
which is for sale everywhere. Buy it where you bought this book, and
read the inside history of the life of Jesse James.
End of Project Gutenberg's Jesse James' Bold Stroke, by William Ward