The excited Utes stooped over him, getting in his way; and there was a great chattering, showing that they had lost their caution. Buffalo Bill was beginning to think that an opportunity to charge and capture Benson was being presented, when Gorilla Jake flung out a bottle. One of the Utes pounced on it; and so great was his eager haste that he did not look at the contents, but broke off the neck of the bottle with a blow of his brown fist and stuck the broken bottle to his mouth. He gave a choking howl of astonishment and grief when his mouth filled with the luke-warm water; then he held up the bottle, gesticulating furiously. Gorilla Jake was flinging out more of the bottles, all of which were being seized on. But the yell and the jabbering words of the disappointed Ute nevertheless drew attention. The Utes discovered suddenly that the bottles held tepid water instead of whisky. Benson made the same astounding discovery, and so did Gorilla Jake. The thing was at first incomprehensible. Benson spoke to the apelike man, who delved deeper and flung out more bottles. But these, too, contained only water. The Indians were yelling in their excitement. They were angry, too, as if they thought that the white men with them had worked the trick. Knives and hatchets flashed in the red rays of the now declining sun. “A Kilkenny cat fight,” gulped Nomad. “Now’s ther time, Cody, ter wade right inter them.” Buffalo Bill drew his revolver, and was about to give the command, when a score more of Ute warriors appeared on the scene, coming from the direction of the village. Apparently, having been left behind without a knowledge of what was to be done, they had suspected it, and followed. “Not now; it would be foolish to charge now!” the scout whispered. “Waugh!” Nomad growled. “Yer had ought to done et a while ago!” “That’s what I said,” avowed Bill Betts, fingering his umbrella gun. He lifted and sighted it. The handle of the umbrella was the gun, the umbrella frame and cloth being mere deceptions. “Give the word, Cody, and I can sure sting ’em up some, and they won’t know who’s doin’ it.” But Buffalo Bill did not give the word. Twoscore or more wildly excited Utes too much resembled a hornets’ nest for him to want to poke them up in that way. Buffalo Bill was noted for his courage, but that does not mean that he was noted for recklessness. A good many people mistake the one for the other. Nor was he inhuman. The Ute recruits were soon yelling quite as much as those who had arrived at the cache with the white men. What was being said could not be made out, but it was apparent that warm remarks were being directed to Benson and Gorilla Jake. Benson could be seen, surrounded by Utes, waving his arms as if trying to explain the thing.