Page:The Early Indian Wars of Oregon.djvu/81

 which they

were daubed with paint, their fiery visages being striped with red, black, white, and yellow, were all calculated not only to inspire terror, but a dread of savage fury in the mind of every beholder. At the very height of the ex citement, when it appeared that the next whirl of the savage cavalry would trample us all beneath their feet, Ellis stretched himself up to his utmost height upon the back of his splendid charger, and waving his hand over the dark mass, all was quiet."

All then dismounted to shake hands with the agent and his party, to whom they furnished horses to ride to a plain where the ceremony of honoring a brave who had killed twelve Blackfoot foes was to be performed. The honored warrior occupied the center of a large circle, and recited to an attentive audience the manner of killing each with the same particularity that Homer celebrated the deeds of his heroes, exhibiting the scalps and the arms taken. Then followed a rehearsal of a recent battle with the Blackfoot tribe, in which the Nez Percés were victorious, after which a war dance was performed, conducted by a chief called Lawyer, "in whom," says Hines, "is combined the cunning and shrewdness of the Indian, with the ability and penetration of the statesman."

Lawyer, like Ellis, had received the rudiments of an English education at Red river. He was possessed of remarkable shrewdness, and had from the first meeting with the missionaries at the rendezvous of the fur compa nies in the mountains in 1836, remained their friend, and used his influence to quiet the Nez Percés in the vicinity of Lapwai, where he had his home, whenever such influ ence could be of advantage to them, and moreover to him self. Though inferior in rank at this time, his power in the tribe was nearly equal to that of Ellis.

It had been White's intention to prevent Ellis from going down to Waiilatpu if possible, but on learning from him that he would act in favor of a reception of the laws, his objections were withdrawn; and a thousand horses