reached Tim, and seizing him by the arm, he exerted all his enormousstrength, and succeeded in pulling him up.
Jack cut his bonds.
"Don't waste a moment," he gasped, "but go ashore and cut some more ofthe cedars to pile on these."
"Ay, ay," replied Tim, and he hastened away.
Timberlake was next nearest.
"Are you fastened?" Jack asked him.
"Yes; bound hand and foot."
"I'll get you up in a moment."
"Shack," groaned Fritz. "Hurry ub."
His mouth was even with the water, and it was with the greatestdifficulty that he prevented himself swallowing it.
Tim came back and flung some cedars to Jack.
With these he built his bridge out further.
Giving the sheriff a pull that raised him a foot, Jack left him and madehis way to Fritz.
He reached the Dutchman just in time to save him.
It almost pulled the fat fellow's joints apart when the inventor hauledhim up, but once he was free of his bonds and upon the cedars he aidedJack to pull the sheriff up and set him free.
They all got their feet stuck in the sand as they fought and struggledto reach firm land, for the trees were now sunk but they finally managedto get ashore.
Here they found Tim bombarding the woods.
All the bandits had seen what was happening, and now opened fire uponthem again.
The old sailor procured two bombs.
He let thus drive in the direction the shots came from, and they rippedthe woods and blew up rocks and trees, and created the most terrificdevastation.
That silenced the outlaws.
None of them were killed, but many were wounded, and they now lost notime at making their escape.
Jack and his companions hastened back aboard the Terror, and sent herflying back to the road.
There they waited for the appearance of some of the gang; but theywaited in vain.
All had escaped in the other direction.
When assured of this, the four adventurers went inside to change theirclothing, and rest themselves.
Jack's companions told him how they happened to be found sinking in thebed of quicksand.
"They meant to kill you!" he exclaimed.
"Ay, ay, lad! But you balked 'em!" chuckled Tim.
"And I've get most of the stolen money back," laughed Jack, as he heldup the wad of bank notes he took from Jesse James.
_"Donner und blitzen!_ Vot a surbrised barty dot vos fer der pandits,"roared Fritz. "Inshtid of Yesse Yames hookin' money from odder beoples,it must haf peen shtrange fer him ter haf money hooked from himalretty."
"Yes--a very novel experience for the thief," said the sheriff, dryly."I congratulate you, Mr. Wright, for doing something to that villainthat nobody else ever did. It is a most remarkable thing for Jesse Jamesto be robbed."
"I reckerlect when I wuz in ther navy," said Tim, "I once had aexperience like that. We went out ter hunt fer a fillibuster's ship whenwot wuz our surprise ter have ther lubber tackle us. Gee whiz! wuzn't Imad! I ups an' loads one o'ther guns ter fire at him when he slippedaroun' asturn us. As we couldn't train no gun ter b'ar on him in thatther sitiwation wot should I do but git a coil o' rope, mount therriggin' an' lasso his capstan, It wuz a mighty good throw too. Waal,sir, we heaved an' hauled on that ere rope, dragging ther lubber over toour ship until we got him alongside---"
"And none of them attempted to cut your lasso from their capstan?" askedJack. "They must have wanted to get captured."
"It's werry funny," said Tim, "but none o' them seemed ter think o'doin' that. Waal, sir, as soon as we hauled 'em alongside we had abroadside ready ter pour inter that craft ter blow her ter pieces, an'ther gunners wuz at ther posts ready ter fire. But afore we could carryout this plan ther willians boarded us an' captured us an' our ship."
"It can't be possible?"
"But it wuz, my lad."
"How did you escape?"
"One night I got free an' rushed into the powder magazine with a litpipe in my mouth, an' them arter me."
"If you were a prisoner where did you got the lit pipe?"
"Oh, I had it," replied Tim. "Ter continer, seein' my enemies allrushin' arter me, I took ther pipe an' yelled fer 'em ter go back or I'ddrop ther burnin' baccy inter ther powder. They refused---"
"And you dropped the light into the powder?"
"No. Ther light had gone out," grinned Tim. "It skeered 'em so though,that when they recovered they bolted out, an' fearin' ter git blowedup, they all jumped overboard an' was drowned. I released my messmates,an' we took ther ship."
"Tim, is that a lie, or a fabrication?"
"A fabrication, o' course," indignantly and innocently answered the oldsalt. "D'yer s'pose Tim Topstay would tell a lie?"
CHAPTER XVI.THE CAPTURE OF WOOD HITE.
On the second day after the aforegoing events occurred Fritz happened toglance into the water tank of the Terror and noticed that their supplyof liquid was running low.
This was very unpleasant, as they were then nowhere near any spring orstream, and he walked into the front room where Jack sat talking toTimberlake, and said:
"Dere don't vos more as enough water to last bis to-night."
"That's too bad. Can't we get a supply near here?" said Jack.
"Not that I am aware of," answered the sheriff. "But, about three milesalong the road there is a farm-house, and we can get all we want fromthe countryman's cistern."
"Suppose we go there and try," suggested Jack.
"Vell, I dell Dim," said the Dutchman.
He then spoke to the old sailor who was steering, and Tim sent the stagein the direction indicated.
In a short time they came in view of the farm-house.
This had scarcely been done when Tim caught sight of a man with his headswathed in bandages rush out of the house to the stable from whence hesoon emerged on horseback.
He gave one glance back at the stage and then, plunging spurs into hissteed's flanks, he dashed away.
Off he went across the rolling country at a furious pace, his peculiaraction at once arresting Tim's attention.
The old sailor only had one eye, but it was a good one, for no soonerhad he seen the fugitive's face when he recognized him as that mercenarymember of the James Boys' gang called Wood Hite, and noted as adesperate ruffian.
"Gee whiz!" gasped Tim.
"What's the matter?" asked Jack.
"Thar goes Wood Hite!"
"Is that so?"
"Ay, an' his head is all bandaged!"
"He must have been wounded."
"Sartin, and he wuz in thar farm-house tryin' ter git well."
"He must have seen us coming and got scared out."
"Jist my opinion, Jack."
The young inventor came out on the front platform.
He gazed long and earnestly at the flying rider and then said:
"You have made no mistake--that's Hite."
"This ere ole eye o' mine are a regler telescope."
"Chase the villain, Tim!"
"You bet I will."
And pulling the dynamo lever over as far as it would go, the old sailorspun the wheel around, turning the stage from the high road, and senther flying after the horseman.
"If he thinks we can't run on anything but hard ground," said Jack,grimly, "he will soon learn his error."
"That ere's a mighty good nag he's a-ridin'."
"Yes--all the James Boys' gang are well mounted."
"Ain't Hite ther lubber wots allers grubbin' fer money?"
"Yes, he, the most grasping one of the gang."
"D'yer reckon as thar's any more o' his messmates in ther farm-house?"
"No, I believe not. If there had been, they would have come out withhim," replied Jack, as they flew past the old house.
"S'posen we runs him down?"
"I'll make him admit where the rest of the gang is."
"Ay, now, that's a blamed good plan."
The bandit had tak
en refuge in the house, as he had suffered a very badwound, but having seen from one of the upper bed rooms that the stagewas coming, he took alarm and fled as has been recorded.
By so doing, he greatly amazed the good people with whom he had beenstopping, as they knew nothing of his real character in consequence of alie he told them.
The man was wild with fear.
He spurred and lashed his horse furiously.
And he kept his lead with remarkable speed.
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