In that manner he gained the rear of the lodge, where he was stopped from proceeding farther by hearing Gorilla Jake talking with Tim Benson. At first Betts thought they had company, for he heard Indian grunts, which came, however, from behind the lodge. The white men were flinging accusations at each other, as soon as Gorilla Jake entered the lodge; it was apparent that Benson had seen him passing and beckoned or called to him to come in. “You didn’t have as many of them tablets as you said,” Benson declared. “And you didn’t have any whisky, ’cept what we fust brought in,” Gorilla Jake flung back at him. “Was that my fault?” “It wasn’t mine!” “Some one tampered with the cache. I’m betting it was one of Cody’s crowd.” “Fer which reason,” said Gorilla Jake, and Jim Betts heard him suck in his breath angrily, “if I’d hed a million o’ them tablets you wouldn’t had the whisky to use with ’em.” “We might have used them alone. We could have told the Utes that they were better than whisky. That was my plan, when I found the whisky was gone; then I discovered you didn’t have any more. They’ll sober off now, and then----” “We can cut out o’ this, can’t we?” “Not while I’m on yer trail,” Jim Betts whispered. “You’re my meat.” “Cody will follow us!” said Benson. His tone showed that his courage had broken down, or else he was losing his mental balance. The apelike man snorted his anger and moved uneasily about the lodge. “He’ll be comin’ out in a minute,” thought Jim Betts. In spite of the peril he began to crawl round to the tepee entrance, with the intention of knocking Gorilla Jake on the head there and making a desperate fight to get out of the village with him. He drew his heavy revolver, which he held so that he could use the butt. Betts had crawled no more than halfway round when the apelike man, appearing in the lodge entrance, drew toward him a mob of furious Utes, who came at him howling. Betts heard him utter an exclamation and step back; then heard him say to Benson: “If you’ve got any influence with ’em you’d better use it now. They want me. I reckon, frum the looks; but they’ll be wantin’ _you_ next.” The Indians foamed up to the entrance, then flowed on into the lodge. A desperate curiosity caused the reckless Gamecock to lift the edge of the lodge skin and peer in, his form flattened out and his face against the earth. As he did it a blow sounded; and he saw, then, that Gorilla Jake had knocked one of the Indians down, and was backing over against the wall, passing Benson, who sat crouched on a lot of skins. A growl like that of an aroused animal came from the lips of Gorilla Jake. “Stand up hyer and help me!” he flung at Benson. But Benson knew which side his bread was buttered on right then, and he did nothing of the kind. He saw that the Utes had come for Gorilla Jake, and that if he interfered he would put his life in jeopardy. So he sat still, letting the angry Utes stream past and even over him.