libre than the one she always carried at her belt,
but it was deadly enough at short range.

The revolver had been given her by Young Wild West on her sixteenth
birthday, and several times it had stood her in good stead.

At the very minute that Snivel was talking to her she was thinking of
bringing the weapon into use.

Arietta had heard enough to make her believe that her dashing young
lover was not to be harmed for a while, for she had been listening when
the men were talking about Cap Roche, and she had not failed to make
note of it when they said that he was not due at the cave until some
time after the hour of noon.

Before Snivel came in from the rear entrance she had been carefully
studying the cave, and she knew just the way to get out.

She thought that the quicker she did it the better it would be for both
herself and Wild.

She determined that she would act right now.

"Can I have a drink of water?" she asked, as Snivel was about to pull up
a stool near her.

"Sartin," was the reply. "I'll go an' fetch yer one right from ther
spring."

There were only two men besides the lieutenant of the band in the cave
just then, and they were back near the rear.

Snivel went and got a tin cup and as he turned his back to go and fetch
the water Arietta arose and stepped lightly across the cave.

She had almost reached the passage that led out to the pass when one of
the outlaws saw her and raised the alarm.

CHAPTER X.

"THAT MAKES FOUR OF YOU!"

As the outlaw's warning cry sounded through the cave Arietta gave a
shout of defiance and darted into the passage.

Like Wild, she had seen the curtain lifted when she was carried into the
cave, and she knew that curtain was not far away.

It was doubtful if she would be fired at by the villains, she thought,
but there was really no telling, so she drew her revolver and looked
over her shoulder as she ran.

Both the man who saw her when she was nearly out and the other villain
were now running swiftly through the cave, and each of them had a drawn
revolver.

Arietta ran as far as she could go, and then she came in contact with
the painted curtain.

She did not know how to manipulate it, of course, so the best thing she
could do was to reach for the bottom and lift it.

This she did, and, much to her joy, it came up easily.

A quick move and she had darted under it and was outside in the pass.

Then it was that she gave a cry of delight, for Cheyenne