Page:The Early Indian Wars of Oregon.djvu/492

474 were, or false, as they often were found to be, were such as would stay his hand and allow them time to collect their winter store of food at the fisheries, as Major Rains had said to them they would not be permitted to do, and as it was Colonel Wright's intention to prevent their doing could it be shown that they really did not desire peace.

On the evening of the ninth of June, Owhi, Kamiakin, and Teies, encamped on the bank of the river opposite Fort Nachess, and sent friendly messages. Upon being told that if they desired peace they must come to Wright's camp and talk it over, Owhi and Teies complied, and charged the blame of the war upon the treaty of Walla Walla—that is to say, upon Governor Stevens, Superintendent Palmer, and the military officers present. To this Wright replied by asking what they had to gain by war, telling them they were as children in his hands; that if they persisted in fighting their warriors would all be killed, and their women and children driven to the cold north, where they must starve; that he sympathized with them, and was their friend, but they must not seek to avenge their wrongs by war.

This was the kind of talk they desired to hear, for it showed them they had nothing to fear from the army so long as their double policy could be maintained. It did not much signify that Wright ordered Kamiakin and the other absent chiefs to come into camp or be pursued as enemies. Skloom and Showwawy had gone to the Palouse country, leaving their people with Owhi, for the Oregon volunteers still occupied that region; and others were absent on various missions.

The order to come into camp extended to five days, during which must be collected the property belonging to immigrants whom they had plundered. But none of the chiefs appearing at the appointed time, Colonel Wright moved his force across and encamped on the Yakima river, in the Kitetas country, Colonel Steptoe remaining at Fort