“It’s short--but not sweet. As I told you, Cody and his crowd are off over there somewhere, looking for me. I came in the Calumet Wells stage from Blossom Range this morning. In the stage with me was a woman, that you don’t know--a show girl, who goes by the name of Vera Bright. I thought a good deal of her at one time; in fact, me and a gambler and road agent by the name of John Ward ran a close race for a snug place in her affections. She allowed Ward was a better looker than myself, and he won out.” “I know him.” “You mean that you once knew him. Right now he is dead.” “Wow! What did he die of?” “A bullet out of my pistol.” The apelike man edged away, staring at Benson. “Does that hit you in a tender spot?” “Not p’ticklerly; he wasn’t no friend of mine.” “I’m glad of it. This woman I’m telling you about never forgave me for killing Ward; though, as I look at it, it was Ward for the graveyard, or me. He would have killed me, only that I got him first.” Then Benson related his adventures in Blossom Range in detail, and when he had finished the apelike man sat staring in admiration at the master villain. “You’re shore a wonder!” he ejaculated. The compliment pleased Benson, and he smiled. “I got away, as I said; then I met you.” “Jest so. Well, I heard a rumble and noise in the trail, and saw the stage down there, with the horses snarled. Looked like nobody was in it, er that they was all dead; so I slid down to investigate. When I poked my nose in at the stage door thar was a woman layin’ on the cushions. I reckon she thought I was the devil, fer which I ain’t blamin’ her; I never did count much with women, ner in a beauty show. She let out a yell, jumped out of the stage, and fair flew; and she come in this direction. “About that time I thought I heard men frum the cañon, and I kited; fer I didn’t want to meet ’em. I run over in this direction, and then I heard you. Thinkin’ it was maybe somebody that had follered me, I got behind that bush. It was my intention, if the man was alone, as I thought, to hold him up and rob him. But it was you.” “So we understand each other.” “Yes; now we understand each other.” “Got any plans now?” “I told you I was goin’ into the town, then to the Utes.” “Better keep out of the town right now. As for the Utes, I want to talk with you about them.” Throughout their talk Tim Benson had not been at ease, owing to his fear that Buffalo Bill’s party might come upon him unawares. Now he got up and crept stealthily away, after telling the apelike man that he wanted to look round, and would be back in a minute. When he returned he had news. “I got a look at ’em,” he announced, “from that hill out there.” “Wow! Ye did?” said Gorilla Jake, sitting up straighter. “They’ve found the woman that you scared away from the stage--the woman I was telling you about--and they’re taking her back to it. I reckon they’ll send her on to Calumet Wells with Elmore, or back to Blossom Range.” “Who’s Elmore?”