Page:Centennial History of Oregon 1811-1912, Volume 1.djvu/611

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ii'(>-c'old water reviving liiiii. lie would cniwi liaek under lire to his retreat be- hind the rock. Meautiiue. his wile aud ciiildren were in the store in full view, and moaning piteously at his terrible situation. H(> died from cxliaus- tion two days after he was rescued.

•'The Indians were now piteliing into us 'right smart.' They tried to Iniru us out; tlirew rouks and tire l>rands. hot irons, pitch wood — everyl liiriK on the roof that would burn. But you will recollect that for a short distance hack the bank inclined toward the house, and we could see and shoot the In- dians who appeared there. So they had to throw from such a distance that the largest rocks and bundles of fire did not quite reach iis; and what did, generally rolled off the roof. Some times the 'roof got on fire, and we cut it out, or with cups of brine drawn from pork barrels put it out or with long sticks shoved off the fire l)alls. The kitchen roof troubled us the most. How they did pepper us with rocks; some of the big ones would shake the house all over.

"There were now forty men, women and children in the house — four women, and eighteen men that could fight, and eighteen wounded men and children. The steamer Wasco was on the Oregon side of the river. We saw her steam up and leave for The Dalles. Shortly after, the steamer Mary also left. She had to take Atwell 's fence rails for wood. So passed the day, during which the In- dians had burned Inman 's two houses, your saw-mill and houses, and the lumber yards at the mouth of Mill Creek. At daylight, they set fire to your new ware- house on the Island, making it as light as day around us. They did not attack us at night, but the second morning commenced as lively as ever. We had no water, but did have about two dozen ale and a few bottles of whiskey. These gave out during the day. During the night, a Spokane Indian who was travel- ing with Sinclair, was in the store with us volunteered to get a pail of water from the river. I consented, and he stripped himself naked, jumped out and down the bank, and was back in no time. By this time we looked for the steamer from The Dalles, and were greatl.y disappointed at her non-arrival. We weath- ered it out during the day. Every man keeping his post, and never relaxing in vigilance. Every moving object, shadow, or suspicious bush on the hill, received a shot. The Indians must have thought the house a bombshell. To our ceaseless vigilance I ascribe our safety. Night came again; we saw Sheppard's house burn ; Bush 's house neai'by, was also fired, and kept us in light until about four A. M., when darkness returning, I sent the Spokane Indian for water from the river, and he filled two barrels. He went to and fro like lightning. We also slipped poor James Sinclair's body down the slide outside, as the corpse was quite offensive.

"The two steamers now^ having exceeded the length of time we gave them in which to return from The Dalles, we made up our minds for a long siege and until relief came from below. We could not account for it, but supposed the Ninth Regiment had left The Dalles for Walla Walla, and had proceeded too far to return. The third morning dawned, and lo! the Mary and the Wasco blue with soldiers, and towing a flat-boat with dragoon horses, hove in sight: such a hallo as we gave.

' ' As the steamer landed the Indians fired twenty or thirty shots into them, but we could not ascertain with any effect. The soldiers as they got ashore could