The gloom of night fell.
Heavy, dark banks of clouds covered the sky.
The electric stage finally reached an alluvial bottom, through which wound a broad deep creek.
Here she went among a dense growth of bushes, and Fritz served an excellent supper.
While the rest were partaking of the meal Jack remained on duty, and suddenly caught view of a lone horseman moving slowly along the bank of the 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 from him for an instant.
Jack was suspicious of the man.
It did not seem likely to him that any honest wayfarer could be wandering 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 being seen himself.
He therefore graded the speed of the terror to accord with that of the walking horse, and kept along the clearest ground he could distinguish in the gloom.
The sudden extinguishing of the lights alarmed Jack"s friends, and brought 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 the Terror, and headed for a ma.s.s of trees, rocks and bushes, that formed a hollow 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 upon the scene around.
Timberlake gave a slight start and now said:
"Do you know that the James Boys generally prefer to make their camp in just such hollows as this is?"
"Is that so?" asked Jack. "Then you have an idea that by following the lone 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"s invention 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 slowly worked 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 the ruddy glow of the camp-fire lit up a patch in the scene.
Around the fire were grouped a dozen ruffians, among whom Jack recognized the two James Boys.
Among the others were Jim c.u.mmins, Wood Hite, Clell Miller, Cole Younger and his three brothers, John, Jim and Bob, d.i.c.k Little, Jack Keene, Ed McMillan, Bill Chadwell, Hobbs Kerry, Charley and Bob Ford and Oll and George Shepard.
The horses belonging to the gang, most of which had been stolen, were tethered to the nearby tree.
An exciting dialogue was going on among the bandits, and Jack and the sheriff heard Jesse say:
"Yes, Timberlake has got the Governor at Liberty to league Jack Wright against us. It"s been hard enough to fight the sheriff"s posse and the military reserve but it"s going to be a blamed sight harder to get the best of that inventor. Wright owes me a grudge. He has soured on me for doing him out of that $5,000 in Wrightstown."
"That machine of his"n must be a wonder," said one of the men.