by Old scout
judge."
"All right," answered the scout, with a confident nod. "I reckon I'llsee 'em, if they kin be seen, Wild."
A minute or two later they came to the very spot where Wild had seen thevillain disappear the night before.
The boys could tell when he got there right away, as he had noticed thespot where he had dismounted, the ground being rather soft there; andthe hoofprints, as well as his own footprints were discernible.
Charlie and Jim noticed the prints, too, and they were almost strainingtheir eyes to catch sight of the three stones.
Suddenly the scout gave an exclamation of satisfaction, and then quicklyadded:
"I see 'em, Wild."
"So do I," said Jim, almost at the same instant.
"All right, boys. We'll go right on through the pass, and when we comeback we'll make an investigation."
The girls also saw the three little stones, but when they found thatWild did not seem to want to make much of them just then they rode on,with only a passing comment.
They reached the other end of the pass without meeting a human being orseeing anything that would indicate the presence of any.
Then they dismounted and took a look at the sign that was posted there.
It was so nearly like the other that if the two had been side by sidethe difference could not have been told.
This one was nailed to a big tree, and after he had looked it over Wilddecided to take it down and see if there was anything on the other sideof it.
He used the butt of a revolver in place of a hammer and soon knocked thebarrel-head loose from the tree.
Then it was quickly pried off.
Much to his satisfaction, he saw that there was some lettering on theback of the sign.
But it was done in black, and the letters were daubed on in a carelessway, such as a shipping house clerk does it.
Young Wild West's face lighted up with a smile as he read the following:
"Cap Roche," "General Store," "Silver Bend, Nev."
"What do you think of that?" he asked, holding the barrel-head so hiscompanions could read it. "I reckon we know where the material to makethe sign came from now."
"Great gimlets!" exclaimed Cheyenne Charlie. "If you hadn't seen Rochego inter ther cave last night you would know now that he was connectedwith ther outlaws. This is what I calls great!"
"Well, I'll just put the sign up again," said our hero, after a momentof thought. "But I'll put it so the back part can be read. It may makeCap Roche wonder a little, and if anybody else, not connected with hisgang, sees it they may do a little studying and wondering."
He soon knocked the nails out, and then he lost no time in nailing thesign to the tree in the manner he had proposed to do.
"There you are!" he said. "You can't see the words as plainly as youcould the others; but I reckon they can be read all right, if one takesthe trouble to get up a little close to the tree."
"I reckon if any one comes this way they'll notice it quick enough," thescout declared.
As they intended to go no further, they simply took a look at the trailthat came around the mountain at that point and then continued on towardthe southwest.
"There's the way to Silver Bend," said Wild. "I reckon we'll go throughthere when we get done with Forbidden Pass."
"That's right, Wild," Arietta spoke up. "We will need something from thegeneral store that can't be bought in Big Bonanza."
They all laughed at this, and then, mounting their horses, turned androde back into the narrow pass.
The mile to the spot where the secret entrance to the cave had beendiscovered by our hero the night before was soon made, and then theycame to a halt.
Wild was just going to dismount to make an examination when a revolvershot sounded and his hat was knocked off his head.
The next instant fully a dozen came down the rocky side of the pass andconfronted them with drawn revolvers.
"Hands up--everybody!" called out one of them, who was easily recognizedas Chuck Snivel, the cowboy.
Crack--crack!
Charlie fired two shots in quick succession, and then urged the girls toflee.
Wild saw that nearly all the men were pointing their weapons at him, sohe thought it best to obey the command.
He seemed to be the one they wanted, and he felt that one hostile wordfrom him would insure his death.
Two of the outlaws had dropped when the scout fired, but the others wereso close upon them that Wild was seized and pulled from his horse inless than a second, almost.
The young deadshot struck at them with his clenched fists and made itdecidedly unpleasant for them.
But he knew he could not get away, and he was simply doing this to givehis companions a chance.
They all took advantage of it but one, and that was Arietta.
"I reckon you'll pay toll fur coming through Forbidden Pass, Young WildWest!" one of the villains exclaimed. "Hold him tight, boys! I'm gladyer didn't kill him when that shot was fired at him. I told Chuck notter do it. Ther captain wants him alive. Git ther gal, too! This is whatI call collectin' toll, all right!"
Arietta's horse had been seized by the bit, and a ruffianly fellow stoodholding him with one hand, while his other held a revolver that waspointed at the girl's breast.
The rest of the party had succeeded in getting around a bend, but Wildknew they would not go very far.
But before they had time to get back and do anything both he and Ariettawere dragged up close to what seemed to be the rocky wall of the cliff.
Then the curtain rolled up, and in they went, the outlaws following withthose who had fallen and the horses.
It was all done so quickly that our hero found himself in the darknessbefore he fairly realized what had happened.
Arietta uttered a scream as she was hurried into the mouth of the hiddencave, but a hand was quickly placed over her mouth, and that ended anyfurther chance to let Charlie and the rest know where they were beingcarried.
Wild's weapons were taken from him while he was being dragged into thecave, and it was a very rough handling that he received.
But he knew how useless it was, so he did no further struggling.
The fact that the rest had succeeded in getting away was a littleconsolation, for that meant that they would come back and effect arescue.
Our hero placed the utmost dependence on Charlie and Jim, for they hadnever failed him yet.
In through the short passage the outlaws took them, and then into thebig cave.
They paused here long enough to bind the boy's hands and then ChuckSnivel, who was in command, said:
"Outside into the hole with him, boys. Tie him to the post until Capcomes. We'll keep the girl here. I reckon we'll collect the toll allright."
"It will be a dear toll, too," spoke up the man who had cautioned himnot to kill the boy. "Two of us went under, I s'pose you know."
"An' no amount of money will bring 'em back ter life," chimed inanother.
"There'll be a lot more of you go under before you collect your toll!"exclaimed Young Wild West, who had now fully recovered from the surprisehe had been treated to. "Just wait!"
"That's all right, boy," Chuck Snivel answered, "You know how I feeltoward you, I reckon. You don't have no idea that you're ever goin' tergit away from here alive, do yer?"
"I haven't the least doubt but that I will," was the calm retort.
"Well, jest see how mistaken you'll be. I'm goin' ter be ther one whatwill kill yer! Do yer understand that?"
CHAPTER IX.
ARIETTA ATTEMPTS TO ESCAPE.
At a word from Snivel Young Wild West was dragged along through the bigcave to a place that was almost directly opposite to the entrance.
The light that was admitted through the cracks in the front wassufficient for our hero to see that it was another passage that he wasbeing taken to.
He had heard the villain in command of the men say that he was to betaken outside and put in the hole until the leader came, but ju
st whatthat meant he did not know.
He was destined to find out very soon, however, for the passage did notextend many feet.
A sharp turn in it and he saw a natural hollow, with steep walls of rockon either side, right before him.
It looked very much like the pass, but he knew it could not be, for theywould not take him out there again.
Another thing, the end of the opening, or hole, as it might be called,was but fifty yards away.
Some parts of this wall was very steep, and others looked as though itcould be climbed.
On one side, not far from the passage he was taken from, was a stoutpost that was planted firmly in the ground.
To this Wild was taken, and being placed in an upright position, withhis back to it, he was firmly tied to the post.
"There!" exclaimed Chuck Snivel, fiendishly. "I reckon you'll stay therejust as long as we want yer to, Young Wild West."
"All right," was the calm rejoinder. "I hope you won't want me to stayhere very long. I don't like this kind of business."
Some of the outlaws laughed, while others glared at him savagely.
His style did not exactly suit them. He was too cool by far.
Then, again, two of their number had fallen during the struggle tocapture the brave boy and his sweetheart, and that made them feel allthe more ugly toward him.
"You was goin' through ther pass an' yer wasn't goin' ter pay no toll,Young Wild West!" exclaimed Snivel, after a short pause. "I reckon yerfound out your mistake all right. We seen yer when yer went through, an'we jest got ready fur yer when yer come back. Yer couldn't have stoppedin a better place, fur ye was right in front of our cave. Yer jestwalked right inter ther trap we had set fur yer."
"That's all right," Wild answered, coolly. "You have won the first trickin the game, that isn't going to count for much. I've been in just suchfixes as this, and I have always got out of them. You couldn't scare meif you tried for a week!"
"You talk it nice; but yer will change your tune afore you're many hoursolder. Thought it was fine fun ter make me dance last night, didn't yer?Oh, but I'm gittin' square, all right."
"You'll wish you had never met me before I am done with you."
"Ha, ha, ha!" laughed the villain. "Hear him talk, boys! He acts jest asthough he ain't no prisoner. He's got nerve enough fur ten, I reckon."
"I reckon it's his bluff that's always carried him through," remarkedone of the outlaws, as he looked at the helpless boy and nodded. "Butthere's always a time, yer know. Young Wild West has gone ther length ofhis rope!"
"I reckon you'll find that my rope is a great deal longer than youthink," Wild answered, thinking it good policy to keep in conversationwith them, as the more time Charlie and Jim had to figure out a way ofhelping him the better it would be.
"Ha, ha, ha!"
Again Snivel laughed.
It was evident that he was very sure that it was all up with Young WildWest.
The success the outlaws had met with since they had established theirquarters in the cave no doubt made them confident that they could not beousted.
"Boys," said Snivel, as he turned from our hero, evidently satisfiedthat he could gain nothing by trying to frighten him, "I reckon you hadbetter bury ther bodies of Pete an' Simon. I don't know as there's anyuse in waitin' fur Cap ter come. He won't be here till some time afterdinner, he said when he went away last night. He's tryin' ter git therstage coach ter run through ther pass ag'in, an' if it does we'll let itgo fur ther first two or three trips, an' then when they've got a goodpile aboard we're goin' ter nab on it. Cap knows his business, allright; an' we make more by his bein' away than we do when he's here."
"That's right," answered the man, who seemed to have more to say thanany of the rest. "I reckon we'll go ahead with our funeral. I'll takewhat they've got on 'em, an' you kin put in ther box inside, so therboss kin take charge of it. I know they both must have had a few dollarswhen this unexpected business happened. This are too bad! It's therfirst loss we've met with since we've been banded together."
"That's right, Aleck," replied Snivel. "You go ahead. Joe an' Dick kingo ahead an' dig ther grave that'll answer fur ther pair of 'em. Poorfellers! They never knowed what struck 'em, fur ther galoots what firedthem shots aimed 'em mighty straight, an' there was no sufferin' done.I'm mighty glad I wasn't in ther way of one of them bullets."
"Well, we all are, as fur as that goes. But it's a shame that they hadter be snuffed out that way."
He went away to attend to the work assigned him, as did the others whohad been named.
Then Snivel walked back into the cave, leaving Wild to his ownreflections.
The villain found Arietta sitting on a box, over which some skins hadbeen thrown to make it comfortable.
The girl had not been tied, the villains evidently thinking that therewas no danger of her escaping, as she was but a girl.
But she was being closely watched, just the same, for those left toguard her could not help noticing that she was not afraid.
"Well, miss," said Snivel, apologetically, "I'm mighty sorry ter see youin such a fix as this. What did yer want ter come through Forbidden Passfur, anyhow? Didn't yer read ther sign?"
"I wanted to come through, so I could pay the toll, and I will do itwhen the proper time comes," was the reply in a steady voice.
"You pay ther toll! Why, have yer got a big pile of money?"
"Not here. But I think I can pay it, though."
"Where is your money, gal?"
The lieutenant of the outlaw band became interested right away.
"I don't know as I have got to tell you where my money is," repliedArietta, coolly. "You don't suppose it is anywhere near here, do you? Iwouldn't be wise if I carried a big pile of money around with me, wouldI?"
"Well, I don't know about that part of it. But it would be all therbetter fur us, I reckon," and the man grinned, as though he thought hehad got off a pretty good joke. "But jest tell me how yer expect ter payther toll?"
"I'll show you that when the time comes," was the reply.
"But can't yer tell me now?"
"No, because I don't just know how I am going to pay it. But I am goingto do it, just the same."
"I s'pose yer mean that you're goin' ter pay somethin' ter be let gofree," observed the villain, after thinking a minute or two. "Well, itwill depend on what ther captain says about you gittin' away. I don'thardly think he'll be in favor of lettin' you go, no matter how much yeragree ter pay."
"Oh, I will get away as soon as Young Wild West gets out of here. Hewon't be long in finding a way to release me."
"Miss, if you're dependin' on anything like that ter happen jest git itoff your mind. Young Wild West ain't never goin' ter git out of herealive. I've swore that I'll kill him; an' ther boss of our gang wouldn'tthink of lettin' him live, nohow. Jest make up your mind that ther boyshas got ter die, an' that you're likely ter go ther same way yourself.There's nothin' like resignin' yourself to your fate, yer know."
"Oh, is that so?"
Arietta looked at him with flashing eyes.
Her defiant way struck Snivel as something wonderful, coming from adefenseless girl, as it did.
He did not know that she had a six-shooter in the bosom of her dress,which had been overlooked when she was disarmed.
But Arietta always carried the weapon there.
It was of smaller calibre than the one she always carried at her belt,but it was deadly enough at short range.
The revolver had been given her by Young Wild West on her sixteenthbirthday, and several times it had stood her in good stead.
At the very minute that Snivel was talking to her she was thinking ofbringing the weapon into use.
Arietta had heard enough to make her believe that her dashing younglover was not to be harmed for a while, for she had been listening whenthe men were talking about Cap Roche, and she had not failed to makenote of it when they said that he was not due at the cave until sometime after the hour of noon.
Before Snivel came in from the rear entrance she had been carefullystudying the cave, and she knew just the way to get out.
She thought that the quicker she did it the better it would be for bothherself and Wild.
She determined that she would act right now.
"Can I have a drink of water?" she asked, as Snivel was about to pull upa stool near her.
"Sartin," was the reply. "I'll go an' fetch yer one right from therspring."
There were only two men besides the lieutenant of the band in the cavejust then, and they were back near the rear.
Snivel went and got a tin cup and as he turned his back to go and fetchthe water Arietta arose and stepped lightly across the cave.
She had almost reached the passage that led out to the pass when one ofthe outlaws saw her and raised the alarm.
CHAPTER X.
"THAT MAKES FOUR OF YOU!"
As the outlaw's warning cry sounded through the cave Arietta gave ashout of defiance and darted into the passage.
Like Wild, she had seen the curtain lifted when she was carried into thecave, and she knew that curtain was not far away.
It was doubtful if she would be