ter settle
about your fate, Young Wild West?"

"Why, I have heard you fellows talking about him."

"Yer did, eh? I reckon yer never heard none of us say any more than Cap.
We didn't say that Cap Roche had anything ter do with our crowd."

"Well, I thought you did."

"I don't know as it makes any difference, though. You ain't never goin'
away from here alive. Ther toll that you'll pay is your life, Young Wild
West! Cap Roche will soon say that."

"Maybe he will, and maybe he won't," retorted our hero, as calmly as
though he was simply talking business with a friend. "Cap Roche might
take a notion to let me go. His business at the store in Silver Bend
might require him to do so."

"I reckon he'd be a fool ter let yer go. Where would he land if he did?'

"Well, if he made a deal with me he might land all right."

Wild was adopting different tactics now. Anything to gain time, and he
thought that he might get the men in the humor to make terms for his
release.

Not that he meant to pay the "toll," as they called it; but if he could
make them believe that he had a large sum of money at his command it
might work all right.

The fact was that our hero had very little money on his person.

His experience had taught him not to carry much with him.

Therefore, he always kept the bulk of what he brought with him in a
hidden pocket in his saddlebags.

Hop was the one who had taught him that this was the safest way, for
road agents seldom took a notion to make a thorough search of a
horseman's saddlebags.

"How much money have yet got with yer, Young Wild West?" Snivel asked.

"Not much. But I have plenty in the banks of Denver and Phoenix."

"Denver an' Phoenix is both a mighty good distance from here."

"I know that. But an order from me would fetch the money any time you
went for it."

"That's so, too."

"And my word is worth as much as my money, I reckon!"

"I don't know about that. I wouldn't take ther word of any one. I don't
think any one would tell ther truth in a case like this."

"Well, there is no use in flying, to make a deal with you, then. I'll
wait till the captain comes, I reckon."

"He's ther one ter talk ter, anyhow."

It was just then that another shot sounded from the pass.

The next minute Bob came running out of the rear of the cave.

"Another man got his medicine, Chuck!" he exclaimed. "He would go out
ter git ther body of Wally, an' he got shot down afore he could git hold
of i