"Not 'less they're pushed," he replied. "'Pears to me they'll settle down to a long siege. They know we're after thar cannon an' they mean to see that we don't git near 'em. Ef they could keep us holed up here fur two or three weeks they'd willin' enough spare twenty warriors or so fur the job."
"But why are such important men as Red Eagle and Blackstaffe left here?"
"Mebbe, they thought they'd git at us an' finish us in a day or two. Look at that, Henry. What do you make it out to be?"
"It's a spot of white in the foliage, and it's coming nearer. They want to talk with us. Somebody has hoisted a piece of old cloth on a gun barrel and is approaching. It's Braxton Wyatt."
"Yes, I see him, an' he's within range now. May I send a bullet squar'ly through his head, Henry?"
"No, no! You mustn't do that! We'll observe all the rules of war, whether they do or not. There's Blackstaffe behind Wyatt, and two more Indians. Let them come within a hundred yards, Tom, then hail 'em. Paul, you do the talking, but say I'm not here."
The two renegades and the two Indians came on with confidence, until they were halted by Tom's loud command.
The four stopped and Wyatt called out:
"We want to talk with you and it's better for you to do it."
"It may or may not be better for us," said Paul. "We're the best judges of that. But what do you want?"