Page:Oregon Historical Quarterly vol. 8.djvu/35

 RECOLLECTIONS OF AN INDIAN AGENT. 27 tent and blankets ; but here, in close proximity to the prison, an Indian pony was fastened by a hair rope to a sage bush, an Indian, with a blanket drawn around him, was crouching over a very meagre brush fire and no sign of bed, cooking utensil or food to sustain him through the long, cold and cheerless night. An Indian, better than a white man, knows how to pick out the best camping place a country affords, for in this he is experienced, and so I knew instantly that something very unusual and pressing fastened that Indian to such an unde- sirable spot. Approaching him to ascertain the cause, I per- ceived that it was a younger brother of Howlish Wampo. No further explanation was needed ; the fires of affection kept him warm and furthermore sent a thrill through me that waked up a very decided resolution. He had been there as much as possible ever since his brother's capture, and I could not persuade him to come inside with me and seek more com- fortable quarters. After supper I was introduced to Colonel Steinberger by Captain George B. Currey, an old acquaintance, and the object of my visit stated in diplomatic language. He appointed 10 'clock the next morning for a hearing. The same evening I visited Wampo in the prison and watched him closely to see what effect the incidents of the last few days had wrought upon him. If he had been an ordinary white man I should have expected to find him fidgety and denunciatory ; to accord with the common opinion of Indian character, he should have been stern and stoical. In truth I found him neither. He got up from his seat and walked deliberately to meet me, his bronzed face wearing a pleasant smile, though somewhat mixed with care. He shook my hand slowly, uttering deliber- ately the monosyllable, tots, tots, tots, a Walla Walla word for good, good, good, while the tears stood in his eyes. He was one of the few Indians that could not speak Chinook and 1 could not speak the Walla Walla tongue, so we had to com- municate by signs and an occasional word of those languages we both knew. I pointed at him and asked, " Co-mi-such V ' his language for sick, and he answered in the negative,