Page:The Early Indian Wars of Oregon.djvu/98

 you."

On hearing this Elijah, as it was told to White by the Indians, begged to be allowed to " pray a little first," and while kneeling, was shot dead. Other authorities have said that Elijah was a turbulent fellow, and deserving of the fate he met. But the fact remains that it was the obstinacy of Peu-peu-mox-mox in refusing to be governed by the laws of a strange country in which he found him self, that brought about the misfortune which overtook the Indian cattle company. They were driven out of California by Spanish authorities, who pursued them with cannon, arriving home in the spring of 1845, having left the cattle, for which they had paid, in California, and having endured many hardships by the way.

The effect of the disastrous failure of the cattle company and the death of Elijah was to deepen in the minds of the mission Indians their mistrust of the white race, and par ticularly of Americans; for, however much they may have been at fault, they were in no mood to make allowances for the natural consequences of that fault, but were instead in that dangerous temper which caused Dr. Whitman to send a hasty arid excited communication to the sub-Indian agent, expressing his fears that Elijah s death would be avenged upon his mission. And following immediately upon this letter, White received a visit from Ellis, who had been delegated to visit both himself and Dr. Mc- Loughlin, to get from them an opinion as to what should be done in their case.

"I apprehended," says White, "there might be much difficulty in adjusting it, particularly as they lay much stress upon the restless, disaffected scamps late from Will amette to California, loading them with the vile epithets of dogs, t thieves/ etc., from which they believed, or affected to, that the slanderous reports of our citizens caused all their loss and disasters, and therefore held us responsible."

According to Ellis, the Walla Wallas, Cayuses, Nez Percés, Spokanes, Pend d Oreilles, and Snakes were on