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Little Helen Mar ran out, in her pretty green dress and white apron, and peeped at them, timidly, under her sunbonnet. "Show the children in, Helen," said Mrs. Whitman.
"Have you no children of your own, Madame?" inquired the captain.
"All the child I ever had sleeps yonder," she answered, dropping a tear on the baby's forehead.
In four days Dr. Whitman sent word to the captain: " Take no more concern for the children. We adopt them all."
"Who ever saw such herds of horses! Why, there are thousands! "exclaimed the immigrants as they passed along the Walla Walla. "And see the cattle! the finest kind of stock. These Indians will soon be rich."
Pio-pio-mox-mox, Five Crows, and Tauitau rode with the Indian herders on the hills, and watched the immigrants' lean and worn-out cattle. Every head they could, they bought. This annual influx of stock almost reconciled them to the immigrants trampling down their pastures. The Indians talked of nothing but cattle in those days.
"Let us go down to California and buy more cattle," said the young chief Elijah to his father. "The white men in the valley go down to Sutter's fort and bring up hundreds."
Immigrants camped near the Walla Walla heard the sweet notes of a chant steal out upon the air at twilight. In the morning the Cayuses rose up early and prepared for worship.
"Quite civilized Indians," said the immigrants, looking at their little plantations. "They make their grounds look clean and mellow as a garden."
