Page:The Early Indian Wars of Oregon.djvu/500

482 another war at Walla Walla, he induced Looking Glass, the great war chief of the Nez Percés, a numerous and powerful tribe, to favor Kamiakin of the Yakimas, who has a few followers. He, however, has informed Colonel Wright that he is friendly to the whites and does not want to fight. The Walla Wallas and Cayuses say that they do not desire to fight, but want to be paid for their lands before any more talk is had about taking them away for the whites to settle upon, and prescribing them to certain limits. Lieutenant-Colonel Steptoe says he urged Governor Stevens to adjourn his council with the Indians weeks before it was brought to a close, as it was plainly to be seen that no good would result from it." He further says: "There would have been no further disturbance but for the council; it was premature and inopportune. It was, no doubt, an effort to create another outbreak with the Indians, with the hope by such a course to induce congress to pay the enormous debt contracted to carry on the war, which there was no circumstance to justify."

Soon after the repulse of Stevens and the fight with Steptoe, Colonel Wright repaired to Walla Walla with an additional company of troops, and called a council of the chiefs. But few responded, and those were the friendly Cayuses, Howlish Wampool, Tintinmitse, and Sticcas, and the Nez Percés, Red Wolf and Eagle-from-the-Light, who belonged to the hostile party. No Yakimas, Des Chutes, Walla Wallas, or Spokanes were present or paid any attention to the summons. Concerning his council, Colonel Wright reported that the Stevens treaty was responsible for all the hostilities, and that the Indians so declared. Eagle-from-the-Light he denominated "the sense-bearer and mouthpiece of Looking Glass; a man of much character, and destined to reach the chieftanship of all the Nez Percé nation." His views of the treaty were the same as those of the other chiefs, though he desired to live in harmony with the white people. "I am fully satisfied,"