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
Again had the clever outlaw reached the corral without being detected.
And as before, he made a choice of the best animal in it, which he
quickly roped, led out and mounted. But before setting out on his
journey to the other side of the clearing, he drew one of his trusty
"Colts," grasped the reins firmly and dug in the spurs.
This time, however, the outlaw rough rider adopted a different plan
acting on his own initiative. He drove the animal first straight over
the course previously followed, but when almost opposite the cabin,
suddenly whirled toward it, passing within a rod of it at express train
speed.
As the desperado swept by a rifle crashed from an upper window, but
Wild Bill's sudden and unexpected change of course had destroyed the
marksman's aim and his bullet flew harmlessly over the rider's head.
Like a flash, Bill threw down his gun on his assailant who stood in
plain view up there in the window, with rifle poised for another shot.
Rising in his stirrups the outlaw took a quick pot shot back at his
adversary, uttering a savage yell of triumph and challenge as the man
lunged head first from the window with a bullet through his heart.
Still, the outlaws off under the trees, divining his purpose, held
their fire, and Wild Bill made safe cover with his second capture.
A shout of triumph from the assembled outlaws was quickly suppressed by
Frank's stern command.
It was his purpose to leave those in the cabin, if persons there were
there, in ignorance of their presence until the moment for action
should have arrived.
It came too, unexpectedly. Two men, who somehow had managed to leave
the place unobserved, were driving toward them on fleet horses that
they had quickly taken from the corral.
"Well, of all the tarnation fools," exclaimed Wild Bill as he observed
them coming.
"This simplifies matters," breathed Frank.
"Halt!" he commanded stepping to the edge of the clearing.
A fusilade of revolver shots greeted his order.
"Then take your medicine," he snarled.
The desperado's Winchester crashed twice. The two foolhardy horsemen
toppled from their mounts dead. And to complete the coup, Wild Bill
dashed from cover and skillfully roped the two animals, leading them in
triumph to the outlaws' hiding place.
"If we wait long enough things will come right to us," he laughed
tethering the horses in the bushes.
"Know that bunch?" demanded the leader.
"Never sot eyes on 'em before. They don't belong in these parts. I
shouldn't be surprised if they was in here on a raid of some sort. And
I'll gamble too that the fellow what own's the place ain't there. If
he is he ain't takin' any part in this ruction."
"Well, what do we do next? Want some more nags?"
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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