police in this town looking for us. Hadn't we better get
out of here?"

"Oh, don't hurry yourself," coolly replied Jesse, as he noted the blank
look of dismay on the faces of the rest produced by his brother's words.
"There's no danger."

The bandit king always exercised a powerful influence over his brother
and his men, and they immediately became imbued with his reckless
carelessness, and got over the sadden fright which had for a moment
shocked them.

Jesse then questioned the hotel keeper about the departure of trains
from there, and learned that they could not leave Wrightstown in less
than an hour.

He told his companions the news.

Before the train came in which, they intended to depart, another one
arrived from the opposite direction.

Sheriff Timberlake was aboard.

His locomotive had caught up with the express train, and he boarded her,
and learned that a passenger had seen five men spring aground at the
Wrightstown curve.

As Jesse James and his men were not aboard, he at once presumed it was
they who had thus eluded him.

He, therefore, alighted at the next station, and boarded the first train
back for Wrightstown.

By dint of inquiring, he discovered that five men who answered to the
description of his prey, were at the Sea Spider Hotel, and made his way
there.

When he reached the hotel, he learned that the men were there, and had
retired to one of the rooms.

Timberlake was a man who never wasted words.

When he spoke or acted, it was to the point.

He therefore made no remark, but quickly made his way up-stairs, sure
that he had his prey cornered.

By moving quietly, and listening at the different doors, he finally
located the sound of several voices coming from the room occupied by the
James Boys.

He recognized them at once as the voices of the gang whom he had tracked
to New York.

"It's time to get ready, boys," he heard Jesse say.

"We've got ten minutes yet," replied Cummins.

"Just time enough to reach the depot," added Frank.

The sheriff smiled, and produced a brace of revolvers.

Flinging open the door he saw the five men in the bedroom, sitting
around a table upon which stood an empty whisky bottle and a deck of
cards with which they had been amusing themselves.

Leveling his pistols at the outlaws he cried:

"Hands up!"

"Timberlake!" roared Jesse.

"Quick, obey or I'll fire!"

"Caught!" muttered Frank.

"I've got the drop on you!"

They saw that resis