Then he rendered what had been said into such
English as he could command, accompanying the translation by the
explanations that naturally suggested themselves to one like
himself.
"Chief talk to young men," said the Chippewa--"all chief talk to
young men--tell him dat Pigeonswing must get off in canoe--don't see
canoe, nudder--but, muss be canoe, else he swim. T'ink more than one
Injin here--don't know, dough--maybe, maybe not--can't tell, till
see trail, morrow morning--"
"Well, well; but what does he tell his young men to DO?" demanded
the bee-hunter, impatiently.
"Don't be squaw, Bourdon--tell all by'em bye. Tell young men s'pose
he get canoe, den he may get OUR canoe, and carry 'em off--s'pose he
swim; dat Chippewa devil swim down stream and get OUR canoe dat
fashion--bess go back, some of you, and see arter OUR canoe--dat
what he tell young men most."
"That is a lucky thought!" exclaimed le Bourdon--"let us paddle
down, at once, and seize all their canoes before they can get there.
The distance by water, owing to this bend in the river, is not half
as great as that by land, and the marsh will double the distance to
them.
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