galoot, you've been fillin' up with tanglefoot ag'in!" he
exclaimed in a whisper. "Don't think I don't know."

"Allee light, Misler Charlie," was the Chinaman's reply; "me feel allee
samee velly goodee. Whattee you care?"

The scout let it go at this, and soon the camp was wrapped in silence.

Early the next morning they were up and stirring, however.

Hop was still sound asleep, however, and when his brother tried to
arouse him it did no good.

It was not until our friends had eaten their breakfast that it occurred
to them that it was time for Hop to get up.

Charlie undertook the task of rousing him.

He threw a pail of water on him, and, as might be supposed, it had the
desired effect.

"Lat allee light, Misler Charlie," said the Celestial, as he made for
the brook, after crawling out of the tent; "me allee samee git tee
square, so be!"

"You're square now, if I know anything about it," was the retort. "You
don't count ther tricks you're played on me, I s'pose? Now, you'd better
look out what yer do ter me, 'cause I won't stand it, if yer rub
somethin' good an' hard on me."

"Allee light, Misler Charlie," was all Hop said just then.

The breakfast being over, Young Wild West decided to take a ride through
the pass, and thus keep his promise.

"Come, boys," said he, "I reckon we'll start out now. We'll go right on
through, unless it happens that we are stopped by the outlaws. When we
come back I'll show you the place where Cap Roche disappeared last
night."

"I would like to go along, Wild," spoke up Arietta, "Why can't we all
go?"

"Well, it might make it a little bad in case the villains took a notion
to hold us up," was the reply. "But if you want to go real bad I suppose
you may."

"We do want to go real bad, don't we, girls?" said Arietta, as she
turned to Anna and Eloise.

"Of course, we do!" was the quick reply.

"All right, then. Hop and Wing will stay in charge of the camp. Get
yourselves ready, and be sure that you take your rifles with you. If we
are attacked by a masked gang about half way through the pass I won't be
much surprised."

The horses were soon saddled, and then, after giving the two Chinamen
instructions to keep a watch on the camp, and not to get into mischief,
Wild led the way for Forbidden Pass.

"We are going through, and we won't pay any toll, either!" he said.

"If there is any toll to pay, I'll pay it!" exclaimed Arietta, as she
touched the butt of her revolver