"Well, that beats anything yet! So ther galoots wants us ter pay money, eh? Well, I reckon not! We'll jest git Wild an' ther two gals away from 'em without pain' a thing. Hop, you take my horse an' ride over to ther camp as fast as yer kin. Jest git ther miners together an' tell 'em what's up. Then yer kin git some of ther counterfeit money you've got hid around somewhere an' come back an' take it ter Roche. While you're talkin' to 'em we'll all creep in an' fix ther galoots fur good an' all!" "Allee light, Misler Charlie." Hop was not long in mounting the scout's horse, and then he rode swiftly to Big Bonanza. He went to the camp first and, telling Wing enough to make him frightened about it, he got a roll of counterfeit money from his saddlebags. This he stuffed in his pocket, and then he rode to the saloon. "Misler Hoker," he said; "me wanted allee samee lot of mans to go and fight um outlaws, so be. Ley allee samee goatee Young Wild West in um cave, and Missy Anna and Missy Eloise, too, so be." The keeper of the saloon was astounded when he heard this. He questioned the Chinaman and soon came to the conclusion that he was telling the truth. Then he hastily left the saloon and went out and told the miners as fast as he could get to the places they were working at. Shortly afterward the first of the miners to be notified by Hoker came running into the saloon. Hop had to answer a lot of questions, but he managed to make it plain to the miners what was wanted of them, so in a few minutes they were marching for the pass. The Chinaman rode on ahead and soon came to the spot where he had left Charlie, Jim and Arietta. But they were not there now, and, thinking that they had ascended the cliff again, he decided to go on in the cave. He went around to the curtain and found the scout lying close to the cliff near it. Charlie motioned for him to go on in, and, without looking at him any further, Hop lifted the curtain and obeyed. CHAPTER XIV. HOW ARIETTA PAID THE TOLL. Arietta and Jim had gone to the top of the cliff again, hoping to catch sight of Wild once more, while Charlie remained near the mouth of the cave. The scout made up his mind to get inside when Hop came back, and he had managed to creep up close to the concealed opening. As the Chinaman passed inside he waited for half a minute, and then he took the risk of raising the curtain a trifle. The coast was clear, so he crawled through. Once on the inside, he moved over to a rocky wall and then listened. He could hear the Chinaman talking in his bland way to the villains. There had been a man watching for Hop's return, but in some way he had neglected to be looking at the time Charlie crept up, and it was not until he had escorted the Chinaman to the leader that he went to the curtain to stand guard again. But he did not see the crouching form of the scout, and once he had passed him Charlie began moving toward the rear of the cave.