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.