"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 pa.s.s.

"What! You are not afraid of being held up in Forbidden Pa.s.s, then?"

"No. I reckon that's all rot what's said about that. Some galoots named it Forbidden Pa.s.s, 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 Pa.s.s 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 pa.s.s at the other side of the pleasant little valley the camp was located in.

Not until they saw the three men disappear in the pa.s.s 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 Pa.s.s he had hit the nail right on the head.

The fact was that there was a gang of eighteen villains located in the pa.s.s, 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 postmaster there.

He divided his time with his lawless band and the store, and, being well thought of in the mining camp, he had all the chance in the world to pursue his villainy and profit greatly from it.

As Chuck Snivel and his two companions entered the pa.s.s they turned and took one last look at Young Wild West and his partners.

"I reckon there's trouble ahead, fellers," the lieutenant of the outlaw band observed. "That boy is about ther worst one I ever had tackle me; an' ther others is putty nigh as bad, no doubt. It sorter strikes me that they're here fur ther purpose of findin' us out. Yer all heard what ther boy said as we come away, I reckon?"

"I sartinly did, fur one," answered the man nearest him.

"He said if we happened ter run across any outlaws in Furbidden Pa.s.s we should tell 'em that Young Wild West is lookin' fur 'um," the other added, quickly.

"That's jest what he said!" exclaimed Snivel. "Now, then, what does that mean?"

"It means that he's after us," said the second, shaking his head and shrugging his shoulders.

"It looks that way," the third villain admitted.

"Well, yer kin bet your life we'll tell ther outlaws, won't we?"

"We sartinly will."

"Come on, then! Let's git to ther cave."

They set their bronchos at a gallop and moved rapidly through the pa.s.s.

"I wonder if ther sign was all right?" said one, as they rode along. "I was thinkin' so much about what that boy said that I never thought ter look."

"It was all right," replied Snivel; "I looked at it. Ther sign that Cap Roche made on a barrel-head is there. Yer kin bet that it'll stay there, too. Young Wild West might take a notion ter knock it down; but if he does we'll see to it that it's put up ag'in, or another jest like it."

When they had covered about a mile they slowed down a little and began to look behind them very often.

The fact was that they were nearing the hidden headquarters of the outlaw band of Forbidden Pa.s.s.

The pa.s.s itself was just about two miles in length, the entrance being less than a quarter of a mile from the cl.u.s.ter of shanties that made up the mining camp of Big Bonanza.

At the other end the regular trail to Silver Bend would be reached, and by taking the cut through the short pa.s.s just about fifteen miles could be saved on a journey to Silver Bend.

But, as John Sedgwick had told Young Wild West, the miners no longer took the short cut, since so many holdups had occurred in the pa.s.s.

The clever man who captained and ran the gang of villains was now trying to make the traffic be resumed through the pa.s.s, and, as has been said, Chuck Snivel and two others were sent over to the little mining camp to make the miners believe that there was no longer any danger to travel that way.

There was no doubt but that they had succeeded pretty well, too, since they were now certain that Young Wild West was coming through that way.

The boy had said enough to convince them of that.

It was a little more than half way through the pa.s.s that time three villains, who had posed as cowboys at Big Bonanza, came to a halt.

They looked cautiously in both directions, and, not seeing a sign of a human being, Chuck Snivel nodded his head and exclaimed:

"I reckon everything's all right, boys. Come ahead!"