“Red Bird wants to come in,” he said, in smooth tones. “Red Bird and his followers are wet and hungry.”
“Ye don’t generally travel in the rain, Red Bird.”
“Red Bird and his braves were on the river. The canoes were split on the rocks and lost. We tramped many miles through the woods, and are without food.”
“Whar did ye git upsot?”
“At the Minnewah Falls. Three canoes were lost.”
“Where are the other canoes?”
“We had but three.”
“It ain’t so, Red Bird; ye had five canoes and none of ’em was lost. You go away from here and come around when it is daylight.”
“The white man will not open the gate for Red Bird and his braves?”
“Not to-night. Your canoes are below here in the bushes. Go to them and paddle back to Jean Bevoir and tell him the plan to surprise us has failed,” went on Barringford, sharply.