Page:Oregon Historical Quarterly volume 37.djvu/406

 us back and started for the kitchen exclaiming "oh they have killed my husband.” By this time the shooting had become general. Mrs. W brought a pillow and put it under his head. He was not dead. She asked him if he knew her. He said "yes." She asked him if she could do anything to stop the bleeding. He said no. "Can you speak to me?" He answered "no."

Mr. Rodgers, a young man living with us, now came in with his arm, broken and Mrs. W was standing at the window looking out at the slaughter without when a ball hit her in the shoulder. She screamed and fell to the floor but her wound did not trouble her. It was her children. "Oh what will become of my little ones! Lord, save these little ones” came in heart rending tones from her lips time and again. I was standing looking over her shoulder a minute before she was shot but seeing the Indians trying to kill the school teacher I could not stand it and went up stairs, Mr. Rodgers carrying the sick children and then helped Mrs. W to get up. The Indians now broke into the house. After looking all over they broke in the stairway door. We placed a broken gun over the bannister as if to shoot. They were frightened and retired. For the space of an hour all was still as death except the low voice of Mr. R. engaged in prayer for the safety of all.

We now heard footsteps approaching as one in great haste. They stopped at the door and a voice called Mr. Rodgers. He did not answer. The Indian kept calling and he finally answered and asked what he wanted. The Indian told him that he had nothing to do with the massacre and wanted Mr. R to come down which he refused to do, desiring him to come up there but the Indian said that he would not; that we had white folks up there that would kill him. After much parley Mr. R finally went to the bottom of the stairs and talked with and finally got him upstairs. He shook hands with us all; was very sorry for what had happened, especially Mrs. W being shot. He then told us he wanted us to leave the house as the Indians were going to burn it down. He appeared so kind we began to get