Jesse James' Bold Stroke; Or, The Double Bank RobberyWard, William (Author at Arthur Westbrook Co. (Cleveland, Ohio))
General
Jesse James' Bold Stroke; Or, The Double Bank Robbery
Ward, William (Author at Arthur Westbrook Co. (Cleveland, Ohio))
James, Jesse, 1847-1882 -- Fiction; Western stories
The desperado was roughly turned over on his face, and while two
stalwart savages sat on him to hold him down, his arms were brought
down to their normal position, then securely tied behind his back.
It was not much to be thankful for, but the change brought to Jesse the
most heavenly sensation he ever had known.
His inclination was to draw a deep, long breath, but he resisted and
shut his lips tight.
He would not give them that satisfaction.
The thongs that held his feet were now made doubly secure, so that in
reality he was more helpless than before. But he was not inclined to
complain, though the desperado never had been in such sore straits
before.
His tormentors left him.
Jesse had been left lying on his face, the Indians not taking the
trouble to turn him over. But after satisfying himself that he was
alone, the outlaw cautiously rolled over on his back and rested for a
few minutes. But his new position enabled him to see out through the
opening, only the upper part of the flap having been put back in place
by the savages when they left him.
He discovered that two stolid Indians had been left on guard. They
were squatting on the ground in front of the wigwam. And now the
desperado's mind began to work like a piece of well-oiled machinery,
planning an escape. But just how he expected to accomplish this, was
not clear to himself. Yet to his resourceful mind, no situation was
impossible. Therefore the outlaw took cheer and set about the task in
hand, regardless of the stinging pain from his burns, that he was now
beginning to sense more keenly.
The desperado pricked up his ears at the sound of voices outside. He
recognized the tones of Dew Drop, the Indian maiden. She was speaking
loudly in her broken English, and Jesse understood instantly that she
intended he should hear what she was saying.
Somewhere within her words there lay a message for him.
Dew Drop had launched into a perfect tirade of invective against the
helpless desperado there in the wigwam, and with straining ears he
listened for the words that would give him a clue to her motives. He
observed too, that the shadows of night were falling. Between these two
incidents the desperado believed there was a connection that augured
well for his plans.
Once during her conversation with the Indians, he caught the words,
"fire-water." Then Dew Drop's voice was heard no more, and he
understood that she had gone away.
His heart sank. Perhaps he was wrong in his surmise, after all.
But Jesse's spirits revived a moment later when he heard her returning.
He was at a loss at first to account for her movements. That something
of interest to himself was occurring, Jesse was firmly convinced. But
wriggle about as he would, he could not get a glimpse of the group
outside.
However, the desperado's curiosity was soon rewarded.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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