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AT SUITER'S FORT 299

Dr. Whitman arose and went out of the lodge, Chief Trader McKinley talked to the Indians. Mr. Spalding talked. The chiefs talked. The auditors evinced their attention by now and then a pithy and sympathizing, "Ugh-ugh! "like their Amen after prayer. Then Yellow Serpent sent for Dr. Whitman.

A strange pallor, blent with wonderful resolution, seemed fixed upon the almost haughty face that reentered the council lodge. So we might imagine John Knox stood, or Luther went to the Diet at Worms. The doctor seemed to expect a sentence of banishment. To his surprise old Yellow Serpent himself advanced to meet him and took his hand.

"My brother," he said in Nez Perce", "we have decided that you must stay. When you came we had no ploughs, no hoes, no axes, not anything to work with. Now we have all these. We used to be hungry every winter. We used to have only the camas. Now we have cattle, corn, potatoes, beans, peas, wheat. Now we are no more hungry. We want you to stay and live with us always."

"Stay, stay, stay," cried the fickle Cayuses.

"Stay, stay," echoed the Walla Wallas.

Tiloukaikt brought the long-stemmed pipe of peace. Yellow Serpent placed a live coal on the tobacco, puffed it, and passed it to Dr. Whitman.

"I admit there is danger," said Dr. Whitman to his friends that night, "but I am become accustomed to danger. I should not feel to stay among the Indians in itself considered, but as we are here now I do not see how we can leave without exposing the cause of religion to reproach and repulse. There are so many things involved in our situation in this country, that I do not see that we should be discontented. I feel that vast