"You certainly succeeded--and their screams brought death to your fellows. "Who were they?" Quickly the fellow reeled off some names that Marjorie and Helen declared belonged to none of whom they had ever heard. "Who sent you, Dillaby or old Rozier?" thundered Jesse. "Neither. We were going to join a posse to patrol the town when we saw them ride from Lawyer Perkins' house." "You're lying. I can tell by the sound of your voice," interrupted the world-famous desperado. "But it doesn't make any difference. "After we've taken your weapons away from you, I'm going to send you back to the Springs. "Now listen carefully. I want you to tell the people how you shot at three defenceless women, how we surprised you and what we did to your women-shooting companions. "_Tell them that if they ever try to harm a hair on the head of Jesse James' sister, he'll hound them to hell!_" During the awful threat, Cole and his brothers had removed the pistols, knives and cartridges from the prisoner's clothes and as the famous outlaw saw they had finished the task, he roared: "Now go, you cur! Ride for your life! If we can see you in two minutes, we'll open fire at you! _And don't forget to deliver my message!_" Ere the last words had been uttered, however, the man, who believed himself literally returned from the dead, whirled his horse and dashed madly back toward the Springs. And as he rode, the mocking laughter of Jesse rang in his ears. CHAPTER XIV. "PRINCE CHARMING." "Can't we take a couple of shots at the guy?" implored John, casting yearning glances in the direction of the furiously riding horseman. But before his chief could reply, Susie exclaimed: "No, please say no, Jesse. We've--ugh!--seen enough shooting tonight," and she turned her large eyes, full of pleading, upon her brother. "As you say, sis," returned he, good-naturedly. "The ladies are in command now, John, so I can't allow you to fire at the wretch, though it does seem a shame not to give him a couple of bullets to hurry him a bit." Susie, however, was deaf to supplication and with a sigh the outlaws turned their backs upon the lone rider. "Are you going to leave those--er--men?" inquired Marjorie, as Jesse and his companions dismounted to look to the cinches of their saddles. "We are," returned the bandit-chieftain with an emphasis that warned the others that he had yielded to their demands as far as he would. "They'll serve as a warning that my family and friends are not to be trifled with." Then dropping his harsh tone, he inquired: "Where were you-all bound for when this interruption occurred?" "To my aunt, Mrs. Jarvis, in Deepwater," answered Tim. "Good. The girls ought certainly to be secure from annoyance with any of your family, who'd never be suspected of harbouring the Jameses or their friends. I rather think you girls had better stay there for a few days till things get quieter. There's liable to be something happen in course of forty-eight hours or so."