by Old scout
it.
Hop's dice were not straight dice.
They had only fives and sixes stamped on them, so no matter how theywere rolled less than fifteen could not come up.
Though the dice were not exactly the size of those furnished by Hoker,it would be hard to tell the difference, unless one made a closeexamination of them.
Hop rolled out the dice and two sixes and a five showed up.
"Lat velly goodee thlow, so be," he observed, and then he picked up thedice and dropped the regular ones in the box.
"I reckon it is," answered the saloon keeper. "Come on, boys. It's onme. I lost, but I made him throw big to beat me."
Young Wild West and his partners knew that Hop had all sorts of trickdice, and they could easily guess that he had played a trick on the manin order to beat him.
But since there was no money involved, our hero would not say anything.
He did not like Hop to fleece any one honest, though, and as the cleverCelestial was always bent on cheating some one, it often becamenecessary to make him give back his winnings.
Our hero thought he had better let the boss of the place and his patronsknow that the Chinaman was a sharp and trick gambler, so just as Hokerproposed that they throw again, and for five dollars on the side, hespoke out:
"Gentlemen, I advise you not to gamble with Hop Wah. He is a very smartone at the business, and he will relieve you of all the money you have,if you play with him. Being a sleight-of-hand performer, he can dothings that you could not see. Just go it light on that point. I don'twant to have him get into trouble, and that is what he generally doeswhen he wins a whole lot of money. There is always some one to accusehim of cheating, whether they catch him or not, and then there istrouble. Now don't play cards or throw dice with him for money, if youdon't feel like losing your money."
"All right, Young Wild West; I'll take your advice," said the boss ofthe saloon. "I reckon that you know what you're talkin' about."
Hop put on an injured air and went and sat down at a table.
It was now getting dark and the lamps were lighted in the saloon.
Wild called Sedgwick to him and they got to talking about the cowboyswho had left a short time before.
The miner related what he had heard them say about Forbidden Pass, andthe young deadshot nodded in a pleased way.
"I reckon that means something," he said. "Business has been pretty bad,I suppose, and the outlaws are anxious to have travel through the passresumed. Well, I reckon I'll take a walk over and see how it looks atthis end of the pass, anyhow. Come on, boys!"
Charlie and Jim promptly responded to the call, and Sedgwick hastened todeclare that he would go with them, if there were no objections.
"Certainly not," our hero assured him. "Come on!"
The four left the saloon and walked over to the pass.
Though it was now quite dark, they had no trouble in seeing the signthat was posted at the entrance.
It consisted of a barrel-head nailed together, and the words upon itwere as follows:
"FORBIDDEN PASS!" "Travelers must pay toll, or go some other way." "Private Road!"
Jim Dart struck a match so the inscription could be read, and when theyhad made it out our three friends looked at each other and nodded, whilethe miner waited to hear what would be said.
"I reckon that's what I call putty good," said the scout, a smilecreeping over his bronzed face. "'Private Road,' eh? Well, I wonder whois ther owner of it!"
"We'll find out all about it, Charlie," said Wild, assuringly. "Justwait till to-morrow morning. We'll take a ride through the pass, anddon't you forget it!"
"Well, it might be that yer won't be bothered now, fur it's jest likelythat ther outlaws has quit ther pass an' gone somewhere else," Sedgwickremarked. "If them cowboys is all right, an' they kin go through withoutbein' bothered, it are most likely that you fellers kin."
"But I don't believe they are all right," our hero answered. "I thinkthat they belong to the outlaw gang, and that they came over here andtalked that way just on purpose to get the people here to use the pass,instead of going by the roundabout way to Silver Bend."
"It looks that way, I'll admit, Wild."
"Well, no matter how it is, we'll go through the pass to-morrow, Ireckon. And we'll come back, too, if it takes a whole day to do it."
It was just then that the sounds made by a approaching horse came totheir ears.
"Somebody is coming through now," said the scout, as he listened.
"Get behind the rocks here," Wild whispered. "We will watch him as hegoes past, and see what he does, if anything."
A few seconds later a horseman came in view.
Our friends could distinguish the outlines of both horse and rider, andwhen they saw the man halt right at the end of the pass they were not alittle interested.
The rider turned and looked at the sign, and, nodding when he found thatthe sign was there all right, he started on for the little collection ofshanties.
"That's Cap Roche, ther storekeeper over in Silver Bend," Sedgwickwhispered, as he went on.
"Is that so?" Wild queried. "Well, I reckon we'll go back to the saloonand find out what kind of a fellow Cap Roche is."
CHAPTER V.
CAP ROCHE MEETS YOUNG WILD WEST.
Chuck Snivel was not long in telling Cap Roche all that had taken placeover in Big Bonanza.
The face of the leader of the outlaws wore a troubled look as helistened, and when the man was through he shook his head and said:
"I reckon I'll have to go over and have a look at this dangerous boy,boys. I have heard of him, and I have reason to believe that he is ahard one to beat. Though he is mighty young, he has spent his timelooking for trouble ever since he was big enough to shoot a gun, and hehas had so much luck that I suppose now he thinks that he isinvincible."
"He's a regular terror, Cap," spoke up Bob. "I know what I'm talkin'about. I've seen him, an' I've seen what he could do. He's jest as coolas a chunk of ice, an' yer can't no more scare him than yer kin a madgrizzly. If he's after us you kin bet that he'll git us, unless he'scatched afore he gits a good start on."
"Well, I reckon he'll have the hardest time of his life getting us,though," the leader answered. "But I'll ride over, anyhow and try andfind out something. Told you to tell any outlaws you met that he wasafter them, eh, Chuck?"
"Yes; that's right, Cap."
"Well, we'll see about that. I won't be long in findin' out what he's upto. If he gets through Forbidden Pass without paying toll he's got to bea good one, that's all. His life will probably be the price demanded fortoll, too. I reckon that's what I'll make it."
After a few minutes further conversation on the subject the leader ofthe gang, who was posing as an honest business man in Silver Bend, leftthe cave, leading his horse out under the curtain that was rolled up byone of the men for him.
He rode along in the direction of the little mining camp at an easygait, and in a short time he reached the end of the pass.
He paused long enough to see that the sign he had himself painted was inplace, and then he made for the saloon, never once thinking that therewas any one so close by watching his movements.
Cap Roche was well known in Big Bonanza, and he was satisfied that noone dreamed that he was anything else but an honest man.
He made up his mind to tell the miners that he had decided to ridethrough the pass just for the purpose of finding out if the outlaws werestill there.
"I'll have no trouble in making them think that it is safe to go throughnow," he muttered, as he rode up to the saloon.
Dismounting, he entered the shanty and found the biggest part of thepopulation gathered there.
"Hello, boys!" he called out, familiarly. "How are you all? I took anotion to ride over to-night through Forbidden Pass. I did not let thenotion get out of my head, and came right away. How is business,anyway?"
Several of the men hastened to shake hands with him, and soon a livelyconversation was taking pl
ace.
"So yer come through ther pass, eh?" observed Hoker, after there came alull. "A putty risky thing ter do, I reckon."
"Well, I don't know. You see, I have had the place watched prettyclosely the last few days, and not the least sign of any one has beendiscovered there. I feel that the outlaws, if there were any there, haveleft for some other parts."
Just then Cap Roche happened to set eyes on Hop Wah, who was sitting ata table, showing half a dozen miners some tricks with a pack of cards.
"Hello! You've got a heathen here, eh?" he exclaimed. "When did hestrike