Page:California Digital Library (IA openingwestwithl00sabirich).pdf/193

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token of peace, the two parties started on, for the village.

Pretty soon, up the road charged sixty other Indians—warriors, on horses, ready for a fight; but the women went ahead, to talk peace, and the captain followed, alone, carrying the flag; and as soon as they knew what to expect, the Indians jumped from their horses and hugged the white men and rubbed faces with them.

"Ah hi e, ah hi e!" said the Indians; meaning: "Glad to see you."

The chief was Ca-me-ah-wait. In the village the men were given salmon trout to eat, so they knew that they were on the Pacific side of the mountains. The village was friendly, but when the captain asked the Indians to return with him to the east side and meet the other white chief and men, they were afraid again—said the white men might be spies for the Minnetarees. Finally Ca-me-ah-wait was persuaded, and started, with eight warriors.

The women wept and wailed, but after a few hours the village followed.

"Well, our troubles began again," continued Hugh. "To get those Snakes down here was like haulin' the barge up-stream in some of those rapids. They turned so suspicious that we traded clothes with 'em. We gave 'em our flag to carry. The cap'n had told 'em that the other white chief was to be found at the forks—but when we sighted the forks, the boats weren't to be