Page:The Early Indian Wars of Oregon.djvu/94



Indian on the head with the barrel of his rifle, soon dispatching him.

The remaining Indians, after shooting their guns and arrows at random among the people, took refuge on the bluff above the town, where they continued to fire down upon the citizens, wounding two men who were quietly at work a Mr. Rogers and a Mr. Wilson. Arms being now generally resorted to, the Indians were soon dislodged with a loss of one wounded and a horse killed. Of the three Americans wounded, Le Breton and Rogers died from the effect of poison introduced into the system by arrow points.

Such was the first result of Dr. White's effort to arrest The Dalles chief. In a short time he was visited by seventy painted and armed Indians from that place, who had come to extort payment for the loss of their common relative. The explanation of the affair which White gave them, showed, that whereas they had lost one man, the Americans had lost two, and that the balance of indem nity was on their side; but as a matter of kindness and compassion he would give the widow of the chief two blankets, a dress, and a handkerchief; and in this equi table manner, the matter was disposed of, as also a prece dent established.

With this exception, no white blood was shed through Indian hostilities in the Wallamet valley, although the agent was frequently employed in settling with them for /the killing of an ox belonging to a white man. When White, with effected sternness, reproved the chief of some starving band for such a theft, he was met with the com plaint of game made scarce by white hunters, and the necessity to live. He was compelled to enforce white men s laws against a helpless people to whose condition they were never meant to apply, because to do otherwise would leave the Indians at the mercy of individual jus tice. For one old ox killed and eaten, the band living on Tualatin plains was compelled to pay eight JLOTSC