Page:Life Among the Piutes.djvu/196

 You neither get praised by the so-called government, nor do you get anything more than we do. No: you are as poor as we are, we, who have never taken our own brother’s scalp and fastened it on a pole and danced round it to show our white brothers how brave we are.

“My friends, here I stand before you, an old man, the snow has fallen upon me and it has left its mark, and my hair is white. My hands are clean from the shameful work you have done to Egan.

“Why, friends, our great soldier-fathers, General Howard and General McDowell, have asked me to furnish them twenty-five of my men as scouts for them. General Howard and General McDowell are my best soldier-fathers; yet they could not give me money enough to take up arms against any tribe of Indians.

“Now, my dear children, I will go with my sister, and I will say all to the Umatillas that I have said to you, right before General Forsythe and all the officers. I think it is right and just, and I also think it is the only way we can get back our women and girls.”

This is what my brother Natchez said to his men; and one and all of them said they were always ready to hear our chief, and to do what he says.

Brother then said, “How many want to go with me?”

They answered, “We will all go.”

Brother said, “I am afraid the soldiers will think we have come to fight them, if they see so many of us coming; therefore I think about thirty of us will be enough to go.”

While the talk was going on, Lieutenant Pitcher came and said,—

“Sarah, we will be ready to go back this afternoon at one o’clock.”

“All right, lieutenant,” I said.

Then I said, “Lieutenant, this is my father Winnemucca,