his kind of a
game. The heathen Chinee is altogether too much for me."

"Young Wild West told us he could beat anything there was goin'," spoke
up John Sedgwick. "He's a sleight-of-hand Chinee, that's what he is."

"Well, I am not a squealer, as you all know," said Roche. "But I do
think that some one should have told me that I was betting against a
sleight-of-hand performer."

"That wasn't fur us ter do, Cap," replied Sedgwick, shaking his head.
"You knowed that he was clever when yer seen him foolin' with ther
cards, an' doin' them other tricks. You lost your money jest because you
thought you was smarter than he was. I happen ter know that a man does a
very foolish thing when he bets ag'in a man showin' a trick. That's what
ther feller doin' it wants, an' he wins every time, too."

CHAPTER VII.

WILD MAKES AN IMPORTANT DISCOVERY.

Cap Roche nodded his head at what Sedgwick said.

"All right," he said. "I reckon I'm satisfied. I am not broke, just
because I lost a couple of hundred dollars."

After that he made himself very agreeable to all hands, and when he got
ready to ride back to the cave in the pass he bade them good night and
invited them to call at his store when in Silver Bend.

Young Wild West and his partners waited until the man rode off, and then
they hurriedly left the shanty saloon.

Wild set out on a run for the camp.

He had made up his mind all at once to follow Cap Roche through
Forbidden Pass.

He got his horse in a jiffy, and, hastily telling the girls where he was
going rode off toward the pass.

So quickly had the young deadshot acted that Roche had not more than
three or four minutes the start of him.

If he went along at an easy gait Wild would be able to overtake him
before he got through the pass.

So quickly had the young deadshot acted that Roche had not more than
three or four minutes the start of him.

If he went along at an easy gait Wild would be able to overtake him
before he got through the pass.

Our hero knew that he was undertaking a risky thing, for he was quite
sure that there was a band of outlaws located somewhere in the pass, or
very near to it.

But he went on without any hesitation, prepared for anything that might
turn up.

The place was totally strange to him, but the boy had confidence in the
sorrel stallion he rode.

Spitfire would surely follow the horse that was ahead.

There was no mistake about that.

On went the dashing young deadsho