.

And that was the last Wrightstown ever saw of them.

CHAPTER III.
THE ELECTRIC STAGE.

Toward evening a chambermaid in the Sea Spider House went up to the room
which had been occupied by the James Boys and discovered Sheriff
Timberlake bound and gagged.

She was very much frightened at first, and ran screaming from the room,
for she thought the apartment was vacant and had gone up to put it in
order.

The landlord heard her shrieks, learned what frightened her, and
hastening up to the room liberated the sheriff.

"Another victim of these villains!" he exclaimed.

"Have they got the best of some one else?" asked Timberlake.

"Yes; the evening paper contains an account of a clever check swindle
they played on the Wrightstown Bank, by duping Jack Wright, the most
respected young citizen in this town."

"How long have they been gone?"

"They departed a few minutes after you went up here at noon."

"Do you know which way they went?"

"The paper says they boarded a westbound train."

"In that case they've given me the slip again."

"Why did they treat you this way?"

"I am the sheriff of Clay County, Missouri, and they were Jesse and
Frank James, the notorious bandits, and three of their gang."

"Good heavens! and I harbored them here!"

"Of course you did not know who they were."

"Certainly not, if I had I would have handed them over to the police."

"Let me read the newspaper account."

The landlord handed him the paper.

He read the article, which gave an account of how Jack Wright had been
cheated, and added, in conclusion, that after the inventor entered the
bank he discovered the swindle.

The police were notified.

They traced the James Boys to the hotel.

But when they got there the birds had flown.

Hastening to the railroad depot, they discovered that the bandits had
made their escape on the cars.

They telegraphed to the authorities ahead of the train at its first
stopping place to arrest the bandits.

But the reply finally came back that the cars did not stop there, as the
bandits had taken possession of the engine, and were seen forcing the
engineer to keep the train going by menacing him with their pistols.

Timberlake was not surprised at this.

He knew that there were no more desperate men than the James Boys, and
was aware that they would resort to any means to escape.

"I can't do anything farther," he sighed. "At least, not until I get
back to Missouri. I think