Page:Oregon Historical Quarterly vol. 8.djvu/36

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28 T. W. DAVENPORT. "Watch." With the few Chinook words he understood I told him not to worry and bade him good night. After talking with the Colonel the next morning, I must say that my astonishment was extreme at his declaration of intention to hang the chief on the ground that he should be held responsible for the acts of the buck Indians. But I re- marked that the Indians who attacked the miner were not Cayuses. Howlish had nc supervision of them ; did not even know them except by name. All the time they were at his lodge he did not know that a crime had been committed. And even if there were not any doubts as to his complicity in shielding them, we should recollect that he had been the friend of the whites when his own people were at war with them, just after the Whitman massacre. No presentation of the case seemed to move the Colonel; Howlish Wampo must be hanged for the good of the service. "Well, Colonel, our personal relations have been pleasant and I have one request to make, and that is, you will give me three days to get my wife and little daughter away from the reservation, as I shall not stay there a minute after the exe- cution of Howlish Wampo. I should like to stay until spring but I cannot remain if my opinions and wishes are to be totally disregarded. ' ' He started up from his chair and said rather excitedly: "How am I to go back on the report of my Lieutenant?" ' ' There is no need of humbling your Lieutenant. Is it not a fact that since he made his report much evidence has come to light, of which he could not know ? In view of this, it would not be disrespectful to him to grant a rehearing of the case. I can send to the agency and bring such witnesses as you prefer and have an examination as soon as they arrive." To this he assented, and said, "Choose such witnesses as are best qualified." The interpreter, Antoine Placide, Alex. McKay, both half breeds who spoke English fairly well, and some others were suggested. I wrote a letter to my wife, stating the arrangements and gave it to the brother of Howlish Wampo, who immediately mounted his horse to ride forty