Page:The History of Oregon Bancroft 1888.djvu/627

 far had been well devised. His baffling course had secured him the delay until spring should open sufficiently to allow him to fly to the Shoshones, when, by throwing the army into confusion, the opportunity should be afforded of escape from the lava-beds with all his followers.

On the morning of the 10th Boston Charley, Hooker Jim, Dave, and Whim visited headquarters, bringing a proposition from Jack that Canby, Gillem, and the peace commissioners should meet the Modocs in council. He was answered by a proposition in writing, which Riddle read to them, containing the former terms of a general amnesty and a reservation in a warmer climate. Jack's conduct was not encouraging. He threw the paper upon the ground, saying he had no use for it; he was not a white man, and could not read. Light remarks were uttered concerning the commissioners. Beef was being dried, and breastworks thrown up, strengthening certain points, all of which indicated preparations for war rather than peace. Jack, however, agreed to meeting the commissioners if they would come a mile beyond the council-tent.

Notwithstanding all these ominous signs, and the advice of Riddle to the contrary, it was finally settled at a meeting of the peace commissioners, Thomas in the chair, that a conference should take place be tween them and Canby on one side and Jack and five Modocs on the other, both parties to go without arms. The llth was the day set for the council, and the place indicated by Jack accepted. After this decision was arrived at, Riddle still advised Canby to send twenty-five or thirty men to secrete themselves in the rocks near the council-ground, as a guard against any treacherous movement on the part of the Indians. But to this proposal Canby replied that it would be an insult to Captain Jack to which he could not consent; and that besides, the probable discovery of such a movement would lead to hostilities. In this he was