Page:History of Oregon volume 1.djvu/735

684 Valley, the Indians having shown a desire to open hostilities by driving off some of their horses. On meeting Lee, however, who had only a few of his men with him, the boats being scattered by the wind, Hinman determined to turn back and endeavor to save the mission property. Leaving his family to proceed to the Cascades, and there await his return, he accompanied Lee to the Dalles, where they arrived the 21st of December, and whence Lee's first report to the governor was dated the 26th.

Lee found the natives there friendly, Seletza, the head chief, whose men had been killing the mission cattle, declaring that his people should pay for the property destroyed. The mission buildings were undisturbed, though the property belonging to emigrants, left at Barlow's Gate on the Barlow road, having arrived too late to cross the mountains, had been carried off. A little of it was brought in, but no confidence was entertained that the natives intended to do anything more than to divert suspicion. In the mean while they circulated reports of a combination and general council of the Nez Percés and Cayuses, and their determination to cut off the missionaries in the Nez Percé and Spokane country, as well as to murder all the captives then in their hands. Lee himself sent these reports to the governor, but qualified by the information of their origin. Such was the uncertain and excited condition of the public mind