Page:The Early Indian Wars of Oregon.djvu/514

496 Wright remained one day in camp on the Spokane without molestation, the Indians appearing on the opposite side of the river, and intimating a desire to communicate with him, but not venturing across. On the seventh, as the army was on the march, they reäppeared and held a conversation with the Nez Percés and interpreters, from which it was learned that they wished to meet Colonel Wright, with the Spokane chief, Garry, and hold a talk, to which proposition Wright consented, and encamped at a place appointed.

Garry had from the earliest occupation of the country by white people been a peace man, and a peace man he now said he remained; but the war party in his nation was the stronger of the two, and included many of his friends and relatives, making it very hard for him to decide upon a course, for he had either to take up arms against the white men, or be killed by his own people. From his well-known character no doubt was entertained of the truthfulness of his statement; but Wright met him with the tone of a conqueror, telling him his people had been beaten in two battles without any loss to the army, and that as often as they chose to engage him he was prepared to beat them again; he had not come into their country to sue for peace, but to fight. But if they were tired of war, he would name his terms of peace, which were, that all that they had must be laid at his feet,—arms, property, women, and children,—and they must trust in his mercy. On no other terms would he cease to make war upon them, but keep fighting, year after year, until they were exterminated. With this message Garry was sent back to his people.

Then came another Spokane chief, Polatkin, with a retinue of nine warriors, unarmed, having left their weapons on the further side of the river to avoid surrendering them. Two of the warriors were required to fetch the guns and crossed the river after them, when one ran away, but the other brought the guns to camp. Wright repeated