"Shall we see it ^oon?" he asked the young Willamette.
"When the sun is there, we shall see it," replied the Indian, pointing to the zenith. The sun still lacked several hours of noon, and Cecil had to re strain his impatience as best he could.
Just then an incident occurred that for the time effectually obliterated all thought of the bridge, and made him a powerful enemy where he least desired one.
At a narrow place in the trail, the loose horses that were being driven at the head of the column became frightened and ran back upon their drivers. In a moment, squaws, pack-horses, and ponies were all mingled together. The squaws tried in vain to restore order; it seemed as if there was going to be a general stampede. The men dashed up from the rear, Sno- qualmie and Cecil among them. Cecil s old nurse happened to be in Snoqualmie s way. The horse she rode was slow and obstinate; and when she attempted to turn aside to let Snoqualmie pass he would not obey the rein, and the chiefs way was blocked. To Snoqualmie an old Indian woman was little more than a dog, and he raised his whip and struck her across the face.
Like a flash, Cecil caught the chiefs rein and lifted his own whip. An instant mere, and the lash would have fallen across the Indian s face; but he remem bered that he was a missionary, that he was violating his own precepts of forgiveness in the presence of those whom he hoped to convert.
The blow did not fall; he grappled with his anger and held it back; but Snoqualmie received from him a look of scorn so withering, that i
