tallow was set in the centre of the school-room. The principal chiefs of the neighborhood, Pio-pio-mox-mox, Five Crows, Tauitau, and Tiloukaikt came in and sat down on the floor. The tallow dips were lighted and Mrs. Whitman brought in the tea. The Indians dipped in sugar, four, five, six teaspoonfuls to a cup. They ate without a word, sipping noisily, as Indians do; now Dr. Whitman and now a chief dipping his big wooden spoon into the kettle. Other Indians came in, until every bench in the school-room was crowded. At last the Hawaiian servant carried the kettle away, and for two hours Tom Hill spoke eloquently in the Cayuse tongue on the benefits of education.
"I like Dr. Whitman better than Spalding," he said to the Nez Perces on reaching home. "He asked me into his house sometimes."
But spite of all, Tom Hill did the mischief with the Cayuses. Pointing to the mission house
"See," he said, "big house, big barn, big mill, grain, all out of Cayuse land. All belongs to you." Pointing to their graves he affectionately asked, "Where are all your principal men who were alive when these pretended teachers of God came among you? Is not Dr. Whitman a great medicine to let your people die in that fashion?" Mr. Spalding wrote to a friend: "God has interposed in a wonderful manner to prevent this calumny from taking effect upon Dr. Whitman."
At a joint meeting of the missions the question was debated whether danger from that source had not become so great that duty required them to leave. But on their knees Dr. and Mrs. Whitman resolved to com* mit themselves anew to the work.
"God does not understand Injun language," was the next report from the oracle in the Blue Mountains.
