Jack Wright and His Electric Stage | Page 4

he exclaimed, with an evil smile. "I've done it well. The most experienced bank clerk in the country would fail to detect the deception. Now to get it cashed!"
He put on his hat, and holding the two pieces of check in his hand, he left the Sea Spider House.
Making his way to the Wrightstown bank, he coolly entered, and approaching the paying teller's little brass barred window, he thrust in the two pieces of check and said blandly:
"Please cash that for me."
"You've torn the check in two," said the paying teller.
"I had it in my breast pocket, and as I was coming in the door I put my hand in my pocket to draw it out, when the end of the check caught in some books and it ripped in two."
The paying teller matched the torn ends.
They fitted with the utmost accuracy.
He then keenly scanned the signature.
Familiar with Jack Wright's checks as he was, he saw at a glance that the signature was genuine.
Without the slightest hesitation he cashed the check, paying the bandit with one hundred dollar bills.
Jesse requested him to give him bills of smaller denomination for one of the bank notes, and when this was done, he leisurely counted the money, placed it in his pocket and strolled out into the Street.
Here he came face to face with Jack.
The young Inventor was just about to enter the bank.
The shock upon a man of weaker nerves than Jesse James had, to thus meet Jack, would have been awful.
But the bandit king bad nerves of steel.
He did not start, turn pale, or twitch a muscle.
On the contrary he assumed a cheerful smile, shook hands very heartily with Jack, and said in apologetic tones:
"I deemed it best to pay for my railroad fare in cash, so I came here and got the money for your check, Mr. Wright."
"It's just as well you did," replied the Inventor. "I'm a director of this bank, and hold the position of president. The board meets to-day, and as I need some cash, I'm killing two birds with one stone."
"Very clever," said Jesse. "Good-bye. I must be off."
"Good-day, sir," said Jack, and he entered the bank.
The bandit strode swiftly to the Sea Spider House.
He found his companions dining, and joining them, he made a good meal, and at its conclusion all hands repaired to the bar again, and indulged in several more drinks.
Jesse then startled his companions by pulling out his big wad of bills, and paying the landlord for their fare.
The moment the gang got him alone, Frank whispered:
"Where did you get the roll, Jess?"
"From Jack Wright," laughed the outlaw.
"Tell us about it!"
"Certainly. It was the easiest game I ever played, and I got $5,000 out of it, too. Ha, ha, ha!"
Looks of intense astonishment appeared on the faces of his friends.
He then explained what he had done.
A roar of delight went up from the gang when he finished.
"Bully for you, Jess!"
"Oh, Lord, what a game!"
"You've done splendidly."
"What a roasting for the bank!"
They laughed and chuckled over it for some time.
But suddenly the solemned-faced Frank exclaimed in startled tones:
"Say! Suppose Jack Wright finds out in the bank what you've done! We'll have all the police in this town looking for us. Hadn't we better get out of here?"
"Oh, don't hurry yourself," coolly replied Jesse, as he noted the blank look of dismay on the faces of the rest produced by his brother's words. "There's no danger."
The bandit king always exercised a powerful influence over his brother and his men, and they immediately became imbued with his reckless carelessness, and got over the sadden fright which had for a moment shocked them.
Jesse then questioned the hotel keeper about the departure of trains from there, and learned that they could not leave Wrightstown in less than an hour.
He told his companions the news.
Before the train came in which, they intended to depart, another one arrived from the opposite direction.
Sheriff Timberlake was aboard.
His locomotive had caught up with the express train, and he boarded her, and learned that a passenger had seen five men spring aground at the Wrightstown curve.
As Jesse James and his men were not aboard, he at once presumed it was they who had thus eluded him.
He, therefore, alighted at the next station, and boarded the first train back for Wrightstown.
By dint of inquiring, he discovered that five men who answered to the description of his prey, were at the Sea Spider Hotel, and made his way there.
When he reached the hotel, he learned that the men were there, and had retired to one of the rooms.
Timberlake was a man who never wasted words.
When he spoke or acted, it was to the point.
He therefore made no remark, but quickly made his way up-stairs, sure that he had his prey cornered.
By moving quietly, and listening