Jesse's face was stern and those of his followers who chanced to observe the expression knew that the blood lust was once more strong upon their leader. "Bring that fellow here! He seems to be the leader of this gang." Tony jerked the cowering wretch to his feet and turned his face so the full morning light shone upon it. "Hello, Sam," greeted Wild Bill with a grin. "Know him, do you?" questioned Jesse. "Know him? I should say yes. He's Sagebrush Sam, one of the orneriest coyotes that ever pulled a trigger." "He is the fellow that laid me out with an iron bar when they jerked me into this place," announced Jesse grimly. "Now Mr. Sam, I reckon you'll answer a few questions." "I ain't answerin' questions for the likes of you," snarled the captive. "There is a ring up there in the joist boys, trice him up by his thumbs." They did so, so that only the fellow's toes touched the floor. In a few moments he was writhing in agony. "Did you know me when you saw me coming up to the cabin?" demanded Jesse. No answer. "Trice him up higher!" commanded the great desperado. "He'll come around in a minute or two." Great beads of perspiration were rolling from the victim's face and signs of weakening were already noticeable in his agonized features. Jesse grinned appreciatively. "Let me down! Kill me! I can't stand this!" groaned the unhappy wretch, his head dropping forward listlessly. "Let him down. He's fainted," announced Jesse. They forced a draught of whiskey down the man's throat after having laid him on the floor. "Now get up!" commanded Jesse administering a vicious kick as Sam came back to consciousness. "Where is the man who owns this joint?" was his first question. Sam pointed to the floor. "Down cellar." "Dead?" "No. We tied him up and left him there yesterday." "What for?" "We allowed we'd take his money and his horses. He sorter didn't take to the notion, so we put him away--" "Wait a minute. Texas, go down cellar. Now go on. What next?" "That's all." "You lie!" roared Jesse striding forward and pressing his bowie against the fellow's throat. "You wanted those horses--what did you want them for? Quick!" Jesse's keen mind had instinctively divined that the fellow had possessed some motive that he did not want to make known to them, and therefore, the desperado reasoned that this self-same information might prove useful to Jesse James. "For to go to Silver City." "Silver City? What for?" "We 'lowed we'd stake out a claim thereabouts." "String him up again boys," commanded the bandit chieftain. "He can't tell the truth any other way." "I'll tell, I'll tell," cried Sam. "Kill me, for God's sake don't do that again." "I am waiting. Go on." "It was this way," began the captive hesitatingly. "They's been some big strikes in the mountains there and the bank we'd heard was keeping a lot of the dust and like, for a big shipment east in about a week."