"Yes?" and the two-faced man arched his eyebrows and looked surprised.

"I should like to get acquainted with the young fellow. Where is he stopping?"

"Right down below here. He carries a campin' outfit with him, an' he's got two young gals an' a young woman along, as well as his two pards an'

this Chinee an' another one. Oh, Young Wild West is used ter goin'

about, an' it don't 'pear ter make any difference ter him an' his friends whether there's a hotel ter put up at or not. They didn't even ask me if I could accommodate 'em."

Hoker shook his head, as though he felt that he had been slighted somewhat.

But Cap Roche only smiled.

"I reckon they could tell by the size of your shanty that there wasn't much chance of getting accommodated here," he said. "I don't wonder that they didn't ask you. Why don't you put up a bigger shanty, like we've got over at the Bend? This place is growing all the time, and the time will soon be here when you'll have the chance to fill a good-sized building with boarders. I reckon there's plenty of dust here that hasn't been dug out yet."

"There ain't no doubt about that, Cap," spoke up one of the miners.

"This is goin' ter be one of ther best minin' camps in ther middle part of Nevada, an' there ain't no mistake on that. It's most placer minin'

that we've been doin' here, 'cause we ain't got no machinery ter go down deep in ther ground. But that there's big deposits down under us there ain't no doubt. I've cleaned up a cool, thousand so fur this week, an'

I've got two more days ter make almost another one. I'm goin' ter send my stuff over to ther Bend Sat.u.r.day afternoon."

"By the long route, I suppose?" and Cap Roche smiled in a peculiar way.

"Yes; that's ther way ther wagons goes nowadays."

"Well, I'll guarantee that it will be safe to go through the pa.s.s, just the same."

"How is it that you are able to give such a guarantee as that, stranger?"

The voice came from the doorway, and, turning, Cap Roche saw a dashing-looking boy, with a wealth of chestnut hair hanging over his shoulders, standing there, looking at him.

The villain knew who it was without being told.

"Young Wild West, I reckon?" he said, coolly. "Come on in; don't stand there. I don't know just what kind of a guarantee I can give that this man's gold will go safely through the pa.s.s, but it is my opinion that there are no robbers there. That's why I spoke that way."

"Oh!"

Our hero walked in followed by his partners and John Sedgwick.

As the reader may judge, Wild had suspected the man the moment he saw him looking at the sign at the mouth of the pa.s.s.

When he heard Sedgwick say he was the storekeeper over in Silver Bend he did not alter his opinion, either.

Determined to find out more about the man, he had walked over to the saloon.

Cap Roche was talking when our friends got there, and as his back happened to be toward the door he did not see them until after the young deadshot spoke.

Wild knew that the only way to get anything out of the man would be first to anger him.

He had tried to do this, but apparently he had not succeeded.

The face of Roche wore, a smile as he came in, and, giving a nod, he said:

"I never saw you before, but I knew you right away. I am glad to meet you, Young Wild West."

"All right, Cap Roche. I am glad to meet you, too."

"Ah! You know me, then?"

"Well, Sedgwick told me who you were. We saw you looking at the sign over at the pa.s.s. Quite a sign, isn't it?"

"You saw me looking at it?" queried the man, showing just the least bit of uneasiness.

"Yes, we were over there when you came out. The man who painted the letters on the barrel-head is quite an artist, and he knows how to spell, all right. They say there is another sign at the other end of the pa.s.s."

"Yes, there's one just like it there," replied Roche. "I can't help looking at them every time I come through Forbidden Pa.s.s. To-night is the first time I have been through in a week or two, so I could not help looking to see if the signs were still in place. As you heard me say before you came in here, I am satisfied that there are no longer any outlaws hanging about the pa.s.s. I reckon they must have got disgusted with the lack of business and moved away."

"Maybe they did. But if they haven't moved away they will move before many hours, and you can bet all you're worth on that!"

"You are going after them, then?"

"Well, such work just suits me, and whenever we think we can do a community a good turn we always go ahead and do it. Outlaws don't like me, and I don't like outlaws. It is the same with my partners. Some might call us a little meddlesome sometimes, but it is a way we have got, and we simply can't help it. Are you going back through the pa.s.s to-night, Mr. Roche?"

"Why, yes. It is only ten miles from here to my store over in Silver Bend. That is no distance to make, you know."

"That's right. Well, if you happen to meet any of the outlaws while going through just tell them that we will be looking for them to-morrow."

A peculiar smile flitted across the features of Roche, but he quickly changed it and laughed lightly.

"All right, Young Wild West," he said. "If I happen to meet any of them I'll surely tell them what you say."

CHAPTER VI.

CAP ROCHE FALLS A VICTIM TO HOP.

Cap Roche now turned his attention to the table at which Hop was sitting.

"So the heathen is showing you something with the cards, eh, boys?" he said, smilingly.

"That's right, Cap," answered one of them. "An' he's mighty slick, too."

"He is, eh? Well, I'd like to see what he can do."

"Me showee velly nicee lillee tlick," spoke up Hop, nodding pleasantly.

The Chinaman was quite sure that Young Wild West suspected that the man was not altogether right, for he was a keen observer and an attentive listener.

That made him decide to make a victim of him, if he could.

Hop had thought out a brand new trick with a deck of cards, and he was all fixed to work it on somebody.

He was pleased to find that he had a victim.