Young Wild West at Forbidden Pass | Page 7

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 pleasant little valley the camp was located in.
Not until they saw the three men disappear in the pass did our friends go into the saloon.
But let us follow the cowboys and find out something more about them.
When our hero had said that they might belong to the outlaws of Forbidden Pass he had hit the nail right on the head.
The fact was that there was a gang of eighteen villains located in the pass, and these three had been picked by the leader to ride to Big Bonanza for the sole purpose of leading the miners to believe that there was no longer any danger for travelers to go through that way when they wanted to go to Silver Bend.
During the time the trio was in the saloon they had been talking in this way, and they had partly made Hoker, the proprietor, believe that there was something in what they said.
The man Wild had treated so roughly bore the name of Chuck Snivel, and he was a sort of lieutenant of the band.
The leader of the outlaws was a scheming man of a fair education, who was called Cap Roche.
This villain owned a store in Silver Bend and was also the