 
 <prompt> text: ```CHAPTER SIXTEEN.

FRIENDS AND FOES--PLOTS AND COUNTERPLOTS--THE RANCH IN DANGER.

In a few minutes the sound of heavy feet and gruff voices was heard for outside passage, and next moment ten men waka enter the room come salute their leader well well.

Charlie feel like say e wan open hin eyes, but e know say the risk too much, so e just dey use hin ears. Dem tell am wetin dey happen for the room, as suddenly, the noise of voices and clattering of footsteps stop, silence come follow, and Charlie know say the whole gang dey look am with wide open eyes and, maybe, open mouths. Their attention dey on the stranger as directed by the chief. The silence no last long sha.

"Now, make una no begin dey whisper, pards," Buck Tom talk for slightly sarcastic tone. "When una go learn say nothing fit wake person wey dey sleep like whisperin'? Make una dey natural--be natural, and tell me, as softly as una fit for una natural voice, wetin carry una come back so soon. Come, Jake, you get the quietest voice. The poor man don tire and e need rest. I bring am come here."

"E get plenty?" Jake ask as e slap hin pocket meaningfully.

"E get small. But come, sit down and talk wetin dey happen. Something must dey wrong."

"Well, I believe say somethin' dey wrong. Everything dey wrong, as far as I fit see. The Redskins don rise, and the troops don commot, so e be like say no need for us to go scatter the ranch of Roarin' Bull, since the red devils fit don reach there before us. So we come back here, and I happy say una get something for pot, because we dey as empty as kettledrums."

Numbered answers:```
 <response>: ```1. Heavy feet and gruff voices.
2. Ten.
3. Saluted their chief.
4. Charlie.
5. No.
6. The risk was too great.
7. Contented himself with his ears.
8. Yes.
9. The whole band was gazing at him.
10. Buck Tom
11. Whispering.
12. It fit wake person wey dey sleep.
13. Jake
14. unknown
15. , The Red Devils.
16. Roarin' Bull,
17. Yes.
18. We dey as empty as kettledrums.
19. The Redskins.
20. The troops.``` 