Young Wild West at Forbidden Pass | Page 7

place here that is forbidden
to travelers. You know very well that it would only make me more
anxious to do a thing if I was told that I must not do it. I am certainly
going through Forbidden Pass!"
"Well, I don't blame you, Wild."
The girl possessed a spirit of fearlessness, and she was not the one to
advise Wild to show himself afraid of any gang of outlaws.
"I reckon we've struck a blamed funny sort of camp, all right,"
remarked the scout, as he pulled the ends of his long mustache. "It
couldn't have been better if we'd been lookin' up somethin' that was ter
be good an' excitin', could it?"
"Hardly," answered Jim.
"Well, never mind about it now, boys. I reckon we'll think about the

supper. Hurry up, Wing. Just get a little move on you."
"Allee light, Misler Wild," answered the cook, smilingly. "Me havee,
um supper leady allee samee pletty quickee, so be."
"Me helpee my blother," spoke up Hop, grinning. "He allee samee velly
muchee slow."
"Me no slow," retorted Wing; "me allee light."
"There!" interposed Wild. "Don't get in a wrangle over it. Hurry the
supper along, that's all."
The two Celestials said no more, but both worked away as fast as they
could.
It was not long before the supper was cooked, and then all hands did
fall justice to it.
"Now, boys," said Wild, as he finished eating, "I reckon a good cigar
wouldn't go bad, so we will go over to the saloon and buy some. The
girls will be all right here, since we won't hardly be out of sight of them.
Come on!"
The three soon took their departure, and they had scarcely done so
when Hop, the clever Chinaman, sneaked around a clump of trees and
took a course that would fetch him around to the rear of the saloon.
It was hard to keep him away from such places, for he loved gambling
and practical joking, not to speak of "tanglefoot," to such a degree that
he could not be held back.
CHAPTER III.
THE OUTLAWS OF FORBIDDEN PASS.
The three cowboys were just getting ready to leave when Young Wild
West and his two partners reached the saloon.

They had loaded up pretty well with "tanglefoot," and they were doing
some very loud talking.
But when they saw the young deadshot they became suddenly silent.
"Hello!" called out Wild, speaking in his cool and easy way. "So you
are going back to the ranch, eh?"
"Yes," answered the one he had handled so roughly. "I reckon we've
about had our spree, so we'll go back now."
"How far is your ranch from here?" queried Wild, as he stepped up
closer to them.
"About thirty miles, I reckon," was the reply.
"Why, I heard there were no ranches within a hundred miles of here.
That's mighty queer."
"Whoever told yer that don't know nothin' about this part of ther
country, I reckon."
"Well, it was the boss of the saloon who told us. Perhaps he isn't much
acquainted around here."
Neither of them said anything to this, but went on buckling up their
saddle-girths.
"Which way are you going?" Wild asked, as they were ready to mount
their horses.
"Right out that way," was the reply, and the speaker pointed toward the
pass.
"What! You are not afraid of being held up in Forbidden Pass, then?"
"No. I reckon that's all rot what's said about that. Some galoots named
it Forbidden Pass, jest fur fun, an' since then there's them what's afraid
of their own shadders what's added enough to it ter make folks think it's

dangerous ter go through there. We come that way, an' I reckon we'll
go back that way. I don't believe there's any gang of outlaws hangin'
around there than there is right in this camp."
"Well, I am sorry to hear that. I had an idea that we could have a little
excitement hunting out the gang. If there is no gang there we will be
disappointed."
All three of the cowboys looked at him sharply.
It was evident that they did not know just what to make of the boy.
They swung themselves on their horses, however, and started to ride
off.
"Say!" said Wild, calling out loudly to them. "If you happen to run
across any outlaws in Forbidden Pass just tell them that Young Wild
West is looking for them. Don't forget that, will you?"
One of the cowboys gave a reply that was not quite intelligible, but as
there was an oath attached to it, our hero knew that it was not
complimentary to him.
He did not stop them, however, and they rode away straight for the
narrow pass at the other side of the