aces showed
that they too were stricken with the plague. There were emaciated Indians among the audience, whose gaunt forms and hollow eyes told that they had dragged themselves to the council-grove to die. The wailing of the women at the camp, lamenting those just dead; the howling of the medicine-men in the dis tance, performing their incantations over the sick; the mysterious sounds that came from the burning forest and the volcano, all these were heard. Round the council the smoke folded thick and dark, veiling the sun, and shutting out the light of heaven and the mercy of the Great Spirit.
The chiefs sat long in silence, each waiting for the other to speak. At length arose a stately war rior famous among the Willamettes for wisdom and prudence.
"We perish," said the chief, "we melt away before the breath of the pestilence, like snow before the breath of the warm spring wind. And while we die of disease in our lodges, war gathers against us be yond the ranges. Even now the bands of our en emies may be descending the mountains, and the tomahawk may smite what the disease has spared. What is to be done? What say the wise chiefs of the Willamettes? Multnomah s seat is empty : shall we choose another war-chief?"
A pale and ghastly chief rose to reply. It was evident that he was in the last extremity of disease.
"Shall we choose another war-chief to sit in Multnomah s place? We may; but will he be Multnomah? The glory of the Willamettes is dead! Talk no more of war, when our war- strength is gone from us. The Bridge is fallen, the Grea
