he understand that if they advance
we fire? Here, Red Dog," said Boynton, riding forward half a dozen
yards, "you understand me well enough. If your crowd moves a pony length
forward we fire, and, mark you, any trick or treachery and down you go,
first man."

To this Red Dog deigned no other response than a scowl.

"Back up slowly, men, face to the front," said Boynton to his silent
line. "Hold 'em, Davies. I'll go back to McPhail."

But when the agent was told the terms of the parley he refused. "Why,
he'd knife or pistol me just as the Modocs did the Peace Commissioners,"
said he. "I won't step off the agency porch. We've got seven armed men
here. Let him bring seven, and you have your soldiers ready inside the
corral. Then if he wants to talk business he can see me here."

By this time, slowly retiring and gradually closing toward the centre,
Davies and his skirmishers had come back within twenty yards of the
building. Boynton swore a round oath. "There's no help for it, Parson,
we've got to do as this chump decides. There's one chance yet. Get your
men back to their loop-holes and join me here. No man to fire, remember,
except as ordered."

Quickly the troopers scurried back to their positions along the
stockade. Originally it had been intended to enclose all the buildings
within this defensive work, but the returning tourists were prompt to
express their disapprobation. Having just shaken hands with the Great
Father at Washington, they were suspicious of such an exhibition of
lack of confidence on the part of his agent. That the store-rooms should
have iron-barred windows was another ground for remark and remonstrance.
The red children refused to enter a stockade whose gates might be closed
behind them, or a room whose windows were barred. An inspector came out
and held a powwow and shook hands with everybody, and told the agent the
red children were lambs who would never harm him and he mustn't show
distrust. It hurt their sensitive natures. So the stockade only enclosed
the shed and stables, but it abutted, luckily, upon the agent's house
and office. Re-entering the house from the rear, after a few words of
instruction to Sergeant Lutz and his men, Davies pushed through
hurriedly to the front piazza. Red Dog in grand state, with an
interpreter at his left rear and seven stalwart braves aligned like a
general's staff six yards behind him, came riding with majestic dignity,
straight to the dark portico. Red Do