THE OUTLAWS TAKE SOME MORE PRISONERS.
As soon as Hop had explained just how they could get up to the top of
the ridge Cheyenne Charlie was eager to go.
"Ther gals kin go back ter Big Bonanza, I reckon," he said. "Then there
won't be any danger of 'em gittin' hurt."
Anna and Eloise were perfectly willing to this, but Arietta shook her
head.
"I am going to stay here till Wild is free," she declared.
The scout knew very well that there was no use in arguing the question
with her. Arietta had a mind of her own, and the only one she would ever
listen to was Young Wild West.
"All right," the scout said, "Hop, you jest show us where yer got up
there, an' me an' Jim will go up an' take a look."
He quickly showed them, and then Charlie and Jim at once began to
ascend.
Arietta promptly followed them.
"Hop, you stay here with the girls till we come back," she said, "Keep a
watch, and if anything happens call out to us."
"Allee light, Missy Alietta," he answered, though he would have much
liked to go up with them, since it was he who had made the important
discovery.
Young Wild West's two partners and Arietta were soon out of sight.
Anna and Eloise watched them until they disappeared, and they continued
to look where they had last seen them.
If they had only looked the other way they might have saved themselves a
lot of trouble.
Or if Hop had kept a watch, as Arietta told him to, things would surely
have turned out differently.
It so happened that Cap Roche had changed his mind about waiting until
after the hour of noon before paying a visit to the cave, and he was
riding up the pass in company with one of his men at that very moment.
In watching the climbers the two girls had exposed themselves to the
view of any one approaching, and when Cap Roche and his man suddenly
came in sight of the two so near the hidden cave they were astonished.
One of the cowboys who had seen our friends when they came to Big
Bonanza was his companion, and he was not long in recognizing Anna and
Eloise.
"Cap," he whispered, "they belong to Young Wild West's crowd. I wonder
what they kin he doin' here?"
"Is that so?" queried the leader. "Well, I'll soon find out what they
are doing here. I reckon we had better catch them and take them in the
cave. That will be a bold stroke, I think. The chances are that Young
Wild West is around here somewhere."
They dismounted and moved cautiously toward the girls.
When they got directly in front of the cave they were astonished to see
the bodies of two of their men lying there.
The eyes of the leader flashed dangerously.
"Young Wild West has been at work, I reckon!" he exclaimed, in a low
voice. "Come on! We had better go in first and see if everything is all
right there."
It was at that moment that the curtain rolled up, for the man on watch
had seen them.
They hurried to him and learned the situation, as far as the man knew
it.
But the fact that Young Wild West was a prisoner so elated the
villainous leader of the outlaw gang that he felt like giving a shout of
joy.
He restrained himself, however, and then quickly made up his mind to
capture the two girls outside.
Another man who was inside the cave was called, and then the four set
out to carry out their foul purpose.
As they crept nearer to the unsuspecting girls, who were now talking in
whispers and waiting patiently for the return of their companions, they
found that there was a Chinaman with them.
"Catch all three of them, and don't let them have a chance to utter a
cry," was the order from Cap Roche.
Stealthily the four villains crept upon the unsuspecting ones, and two
minutes later all three of them were struggling in the grasp of the
outlaws.
Though it had been planned quickly, it was well done, and, unable to
make an outcry, Hop and the two girls were carried bodily into the cave.
A whistle brought half dozen to their assistance, and then the prisoners
were bound and told to be silent.
"If you scream it will do no good, for if your friends start to come in
here they will be shot down like wolves!" said Cap Roche, smiling
fiendishly. "The best thing you can do is to take it easy."
Having said this, he turned to his men and ordered that the two bodies
be brought in.
This was done, though those who did it were very cautious in their
movements, since they expected to be shot down at any moment.
Much relieved, the outlaws carried the bodies through the cave to the
hole outside.
"Now," said the leader, "just tie the prisoners to the table."
This was soon done, Hop pleading to be released in vain.
"Go and fetch Young Wild West here," said Roche. "We will have them all
together while I talk to them."
Chuck Snivel hastened to do the bidding of his boss.
He went out to the post and began untying the captive boy.
"Cap Roche has got here, an' he wants ter see yer, Young Wild West," he
said.
"All right," answered the boy, not knowing whether to believe him or
not. "He'll find that I am all right, I reckon."
His ankles being untied, Wild walked along readily.
The captain was standing near the table waiting for him.
When Wild saw Anna, Eloise and Hop prisoners there he could scarcely
believe his eyes.
Things were surely getting worse, instead of better, he thought.
But he did not let the captives think that he was anything like
discouraged over the prospect.
"How are you, Mr. Roche?" he said, coolly. "How is business over at the
store and post office?"
The villain smiled at this.
"You're a pretty cool one, I must say," he retorted. "I suppose it was
you who turned the sign over?"
"Yes; I thought I would let travelers know that you were one of the
outlaws who demanded toll from those who pass this way."
"Well, I hardly think your plan worked, then, for I took the trouble to
right the sign a little while ago. Well, what do you think of this
business, anyhow? Sorry you came to Forbidden Pass, are you not?"
"Oh, no. This is pretty bad for me just now. But it won't last very
long. If you want to save trouble you had better release me, and the
others you have got here, and then light out somewhere. If you don't you
will only be sorry for it. You think you have got the best of me now,
but in a short time you will find out that it will be just the other
way. You don't suppose that I came here without knowing just what I was
doing, do you?"
"Well, you couldn't have known just what you were doing or this wouldn't
have happened."
Roche motioned toward the prisoners.
"It was a poor way for you to win out, this letting us get you and those
others, I think," he added.
"Well, of course, I did not expect anything like this to happen," Wild
answered, coolly. "That was a pretty good scheme your men put through
when they got me. But let me tell you that my two partners have gone to
get a crowd of miners to come here and clean, you out. They know just
how to get in, for they have seen the curtain raised in front of the
opening that leads in here. But they knew all about that last night, for
I followed you here and saw you come in. I told them all about it, and
they know just what to do now."
Cap Roche looked uneasy.
He did not relish the idea of the miners of Big Bonanza finding out
about the cave.
And he was now pretty certain that they would.
The fact that he was known to be the leader of the outlaws made it
impossible for him to go back to Silver Bend, too.
Though he had the best of Young Wild West just then, he knew he was in a
very bad box.
"You have done well, Young Wild West," he said, trying to appear cool.
"You have done something that no one else has been able to do--you have
found our cave and exposed the secret of it. I will admit that you have
ruined our game here, but you don't suppose that you are going to live
to enjoy telling about it, do you?"
"Oh, I don't know. I expect to live a long while, Cap Roche. I reckon
you think as much of your life as I do of mine. If you should kill me
you know very well that you would not live long after doing it. Your
friends would never get a chance to do you a good turn, for you would
never fall into the hands of the minions of the law. The only chance you
have got is to make a deal that suits me. If you don't want to do that,
do as you please."
Cap Roche got up and began pacing the rocky floor of the cave.
His uneasiness made his men feel in anything but a pleasant frame of
mind.
Suddenly he paused in front of Wild and said:
"Let's hear your proposition."
"I would much rather you would make one," was the calm reply.
"Could you guarantee me three days to get away from Silver Bend if I
agreed to let you go by paying the toll?"
"Yes, I could do that, I suppose."
"Well, I'll think it over."
"You had better think quickly then."
Cap Roche scowled.
"See here!" he exclaimed, turning to Hop and quickly severing his bonds.
"You go and tell Young Wild West's partners that I want all the money
they can rake up, and as soon as you bring it to me you can all go free.
They are to fetch no one here, though. If they do I will kill Young Wild
West, and then take the chances of a siege in the cave."