n the box.

"I reckon it is," answered the saloon keeper. "Come on, boys. It's on
me. I lost, but I made him throw big to beat me."

Young Wild West and his partners knew that Hop had all sorts of trick
dice, and they could easily guess that he had played a trick on the man
in order to beat him.

But since there was no money involved, our hero would not say anything.

He did not like Hop to fleece any one honest, though, and as the clever
Celestial was always bent on cheating some one, it often became
necessary to make him give back his winnings.

Our hero thought he had better let the boss of the place and his patrons
know that the Chinaman was a sharp and trick gambler, so just as Hoker
proposed that they throw again, and for five dollars on the side, he
spoke out:

"Gentlemen, I advise you not to gamble with Hop Wah. He is a very smart
one at the business, and he will relieve you of all the money you have,
if you play with him. Being a sleight-of-hand performer, he can do
things that you could not see. Just go it light on that point. I don't
want to have him get into trouble, and that is what he generally does
when he wins a whole lot of money. There is always some one to accuse
him of cheating, whether they catch him or not, and then there is
trouble. Now don't play cards or throw dice with him for money, if you
don't feel like losing your money."

"All right, Young Wild West; I'll take your advice," said the boss of
the saloon. "I reckon that you know what you're talkin' about."

Hop put on an injured air and went and sat down at a table.

It was now getting dark and the lamps were lighted in the saloon.

Wild called Sedgwick to him and they got to talking about the cowboys
who had left a short time before.

The miner related what he had heard them say about Forbidden Pass, and
the young deadshot nodded in a pleased way.

"I reckon that means something," he said. "Business has been pretty bad,
I suppose, and the outlaws are anxious to have travel through the pass
resumed. Well, I reckon I'll take a walk over and see how it looks at
this end of the pass, anyhow. Come on, boys!"

Charlie and Jim promptly responded to the call, and Sedgwick hastened to
declare that he would go with them, if there were no objections.

"Certainly not," our hero assured him. "Come on!"

The four left the saloon and walked over to the pass.

Though it was now quite dark, they had no trouble in seeing the sign
that was p