CHAPTER XVIII.

CONCLUSION.

Not until the shadows of night were falling did the desperate band halt to make camp.

So far as they had been able to observe there had been no organized pursuit of them attempted. But they knew full well that they would not be permitted to escape without some effort being made to apprehend them.

But instead of following on south as they had started, Jesse after an hour or so changed his course and turned due east, thus carrying them away at right angles to the scene of their late operations. This, he reasoned shrewdly would send any posse that might follow them, off on a blind trail for a long distance before they discovered their mistake. To accomplish this the men had to dismount and lead their horses up a steep mountain side where the least misstep would have precipitated them to certain death on the rocks below.

But the hard rocky sides of the mountain left no trail for the mountaineers to follow.

It was with intense relief that the men dismounted after their trying ride, and their appetites, whetted by the day's strenuous doings, were soon satisfied with a hearty meal of bacon and potatoes, sizzling hot from their improvised stone stove.

And by the light of the camp fire, Jesse and Frank spread out their ill-gotten gains on a slab of rock.

The eyes of the bandits glowed avariciously as package after package of bills was thrown out, to be followed by many bags of rich, yellow gold dust.

A careful count of the money and a rough estimate of the gold dust was made, Jesse figuring the total by marking on the slab of rock with a sharp stone.

"How much?" asked Frank.

"It'll run better than a hundred thousand, I reckon," answered Jesse, calmly.

The desperadoes gave a long, low whistle of surprise.

"I calkerlate I'd be willing to go hungry for three days any time for such a bunch of the long green as that," averred Homely Harry facetiously.

THE END.

Be sure to read the next story, JESSE JAMES MIDNIGHT ATTACK, or THE BANDIT'S REVENGE ON THE VIGILANTES. In this story will be chronicled a series of startling adventures in which the noted outlaw turns the tables on the man-hunters who are on his trail, to their complete undoing. It is No. 32 in the Adventure Series.

_TO THE READER._

Only in the _Adventure Series_ can you get the absolutely true and authentic history of the lives and exploits of the

JAMES BOYS, YOUNGER BROTHERS, HARRY TRACY, THE DALTON GANG, RUBE BURROW,

and the other Notorious Outlaws of the Far West.

* * * * *

We are the authorized and exclusive publishers for Jesse James' only son,

JESSE JAMES, JR.

and are the publishers of his great book,

JESSE JAMES, MY FATHER,

which is for sale everywhere. Buy it where you bought this book, and read the inside history of the life of Jesse James.

End of Project Gutenberg's Jesse James' Bold Stroke, by William Ward