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 sixteenth birthday, and several times it had stood her in good stead.

At the very minute that Snivel was talking to her she was thinking of bringing the weapon into use.

Arietta had heard enough to make her believe that her dashing young lover was not to be harmed for a while, for she had been listening when the men were talking about Cap Roche, and she had not failed to make note of it when they said that he was not due at the cave until some time after the hour of noon.

Before Snivel came in from the rear entrance she had been carefully studying 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 both herself 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 up a stool near her.

"Sartin," was the reply. "I'll go an' fetch yer one right from ther spring."

There were only two men besides the lieutenant of the band in the cave just then, and they were back near the rear.

Snivel went and got a tin cup and as he turned his back to go and fetch the water Arietta arose and stepped lightly across the cave.

She had almost reached the pa.s.sage that led out to the pa.s.s when one of the 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 a shout of defiance and darted into the pa.s.sage.

Like Wild, she had seen the curtain lifted when she was carried into the cave, and she knew that curtain was not far away.

It was doubtful if she would be fired at by the villains, she thought, but there was really no telling, so she drew her revolver and looked over her shoulder as she ran.

Both the man who saw her when she was nearly out and the other villain were now running swiftly through the cave, and each of them had a drawn revolver.

Arietta ran as far as she could go, and then she came in contact with the painted curtain.

She did not know how to manipulate it, of course, so the best thing she could do was to reach for the bottom and lift it.

This she did, and, much to her joy, it came up easily.

A quick move and she had darted under it and was outside in the pa.s.s.

Then it was that she gave a cry of delight, for Cheyenne Charlie was right there to greet her.

The girl did not say a word, however, but motioned for the scout to get behind a rock that was close at hand.

She darted after him as he obeyed her, and then out came the foremost of the men who were chasing her.

Crack!

The scout fired without any hesitation and down went the villain in a heap.

But his action checked the others from coming out, and the curtain went down in a jiffy.

Arietta's action in lifting it had caused the log to fall and pull it up to its full height.

"That's putty good, I reckon," said Charlie, smiling grimly. "Is Wild all right, Arietta?"

"He is safe for the present, I think," was the girl's reply. "They are waiting for the captain to come. He won't be here until some time after dinner, so there is a good chance of saving Wild."

"If that's ther case, I reckon there'll he a good chance, fur ther captain will never git here!"

There was no mistaking the meaning of Cheyenne Charlie just then.

Cap Roche's life was surely in danger if he showed up in Forbidden Pa.s.s that day!

"Take him alive, Charlie," advised Arietta, "Where are Jim and the girls?"

"Right back there a little ways," was the reply. "But you jest leave it ter me ter settle with Cap Roche. I'll show ther two-faced galoot what's what!"

Arietta said no more, but hurried through the pa.s.s in the direction Charlie had indicated.

She found the rest waiting for her, for they had heard the shot, and had seen her with Charlie.

"Is Wild all right?" Dart asked, anxiously.

"Yes, for a while, anyhow," was the reply as Anna and Eloise both tried to embrace her at one time.

She quickly let them know the situation, and then she turned her attention to the spot where Charlie was in waiting for the outlaws to show themselves.

The scout's blood was up now, and she knew quite well that he would shoot the villains as fast as they showed themselves.

Ten minutes pa.s.sed by, and no one showed up.

Charlie was waiting patiently, however.

He was confident that one of the outlaws would want to get out to see what had happened to the fellow that followed in pursuit of the escaping girl.

But Charlie did not know that the villains had a peephole in that cleverly contrived curtain, and that they had already looked through it and learned that their comrade was dead on the ground.

To say that the outlaws were enraged at what had happened would be putting it mildly.