Page:The Indian History of the Modoc War.djvu/170



table reporters are sitting. At either end of the room a file of soldiers stand with muskets ornamented with polished bay- onets. These are necessary, for the prisoners might try to injure someone if the bayonets were not there. Hooker Jim, Shaknasty Jim, Bogus Charley, and Steam Boat Frank are standing near the door, unfettered and unguarded. They do not need guards. They are heroes. They are the fellows that run their own chief, Capt. Jack, down. They are the same fellows that wanted to kill the Peace Commissioners. They were blood thirsty. Tney \vanted to kill soldiers. These are the very same men that placed a shawl on Capt. Jack's shoul- ders and a squaw's hat on his head and taunted him, saying, "You are a woman. You have a bird's heart in you. Coward! Coward! Coward! We disown you as our chief. Kill Canby. If you do, everything will be all right with you. If not, look out, you coward." It was then that Jack jumped to his feet, shook the shawl from his shoulders, threw the hat from his head, and said, "I will do it although it will cost me my life, and all the lives of all of my people to do the cowardly thing, but I will do it."

Now you see these fellows walking all through the grounds at Fort Klamath, Oregon, free men. They were the first men that gave up their arms on Fairchild's Ranch, California, and were employed as government scouts at $100 per month. There is, kind reader, human devils in all nations. These men done more to close up the Modoc War than the army of a thousand men. They are now real live heroes, and they feel it, too. If anything is yet wanting to make this scene complete, it is fully made up by the soldiers who enjoy a safe look into the eyes of the Modoc chief, Capt. Jack.

SECOND DAY.

(Copied from the U. S. War Records.) The Commission met at 10 A. M., pursuant to adjourn- ment. Present, all of the members of the Commission, the Judge Advocate and prisoners.

The proceedings of the last meeting were read and ap- proved. The Judge Advocate then read before the Commis- sion, the order convening the Commission which is interpreted