.

CHAPTER VIII.

CAPTURED IN THE PASS.

As our friends neared the commencement of Forbidden Pass they saw that a
crowd of the miners of the camp were watching them.

A man, whom they easily recognized as Sedgwick, waved his hand to them,
and they answered it.

"I suppose he thinks that something will surely happen to us, if the
outlaws are still hanging around here," our hero observed. "Well, he may
be right; we can't tell."

"I want to read that sign, Wild," spoke up Arietta, as she brought her
horse to a halt. "Well, it was not painted by an ignorant man, anyhow.
It is about the first sign, with so many letters to it, that I have seen
spelled correctly--in a little camp, like this, anyhow."

"Oh, I reckon Cap Roche made the sign, all right, Et," replied our hero.
"He seems to be a pretty smart man. The lettering is good, I must say.
And there is even a painted background--something I did not notice last
night, boys. A pale-blue background, with white letters. Well, that is
all right!"

"We have got to pay toll, I suppose, Arietta," said Jim, with a twinkle
in his eye.

"I said a minute or two ago that I would pay it, if any was demanded,"
she retorted. "Just leave that part to me."

No one knew exactly what she meant, and it is hardly likely that she did
herself. But there was one thing evident, and that was that she did not
mean that any money was to be handed over to the outlaws, should it be
demanded.

They did not remain at a halt long, but proceeded on their way, their
horses at a gentle canter.

"Just keep your eyes on the watch for three stones lying close
together," said Wild, as they got nearly a mile through the pass. "They
are stones a little larger than a goose egg, I should judge."

"All right," answered the scout, with a confident nod. "I reckon I'll
see 'em, if they kin be seen, Wild."

A minute or two later they came to the very spot where Wild had seen the
villain disappear the night before.

The boys could tell when he got there right away, as he had noticed the
spot where he had dismounted, the ground being rather soft there; and
the hoofprints, as well as his own footprints were discernible.

Charlie and Jim noticed the prints, too, and they were almost straining
their eyes to catch sight of the three stones.

Suddenly the scout gave an exclamation of satisfaction, and then quickly
added:

"I see 'em, Wild."

"So do I," said Jim, almost at the same instant.

"All righ