Page:The Indian History of the Modoc War.djvu/89

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here by sundown, I'll take my gun and shoot you in the right eye, you black-hearted son of a dog." Thomas threw his hands up and said, " Brother Riddle, get down on your knees and pray to Almighty God for forgiveness." Riddle said, "You living yellow dog, you might get down and pray the caps off your knees, then God would not forgive you for what you said last night." Tobey mounted her horse and headed for the famous Modoc stronghold. 1

When she rode up to Jack's stronghold, every Modoc brave was there to receive her. Hooker Jim and Bogus Charley also. Tobey jumped from the saddle, got a good firm hold on the halter rope, sat down on a rock, and addressed Jack thus : "Well, I am here. What can I do for you, or do you want to do something for me?" Jack said, "Yes, Tobey, you can do something for me. I understand you told the peace-makers we was going to kill them the next time we met. Did you?"

iSince writing fhe history of the Modoc War of 1872 and '73 it has been in my mind that I did not do justice to Rev. Dr. Thomas, who lost his life on the llth day of April, 1873, while in council with Capt. Jack and a few of his warriors. The Honorable Thomas was killed the same time the noble officer, Gen. Canby, met his death. A. B. Meacham was also wounded. Although it has been forty-one years since the Rev. Thomas was killed, I remember him like it had not been over ten years ago, as I now recall his noble face and fine manners. His aim in those days of trouble with the Mo- doc Indians was good; he tried with his whole heart to bring about peace; he was a friend to them. He did not want to see them mistreated. 1 remem- ber one evening, while talking with father and mother, he said: "Sister To- bey, your people has been mistreated from the first time the white people came into this country. It makes my heart ache to know how they have been wronged. But, thank our God, they will not be wronged any more. I will see that they shall have justice. I love the Indians more than I do my own race. We have got to deal with the Indian just the -same as we have to with children. You see, Sister Tobey, we must treat them with kindness; promise them nothing that we cannot fulfil; by doing thus we get their confi- dence. They will believe what we tell them. We cannot do anything with them by threats or force. 1 do not believe in war; we should not have war."

My gentle reader, this noble man Thomas little thought that within a few days he would be begging for mercy of one of these very people that he wanted to see saved from the horrors of war. That man he pleaded for mercy with was Boston Charley, who paid his own life for the life of Thomas on the third day of October, 1873, at Fort Klamath, Oregon.

With a rope around his neck, with three others Capt. Jack, Schonchin, and Black Jim.

Thomas, when he went in company with Gen. E. R. S. Canby on the morning of April llth that was a day or so after mother and father warned him and the other Peace Commissioners that they would be killed the next time they met in council as I was going to say, when he started for the council tent on that morning of the llth, he knowed he never would walk back over that trail; he knew he was to die that day. But it was his duty to meet them Indians; he went to his death with faint hopes that something- would happen that would stay the hands of the murderers; he died trying to save people that did not respect his pleading.

Since I have grown old I have a warm place in my heart for Rev. Dr. Thomas. I do not confound his name for not believing my mother's warning. I do not think of him with curse words for betraying mother. For I know he had a motive in what he did. I know he was too good a man to do wrong, and know at the same time, he was doing wrong. So long as I live I will remember the Rev. Thomas with only the very best thoughts.