from James camp in plundering the mission buildings. 12
Let us now follow Mr. Spalding, whom Dr. Whitman
left on the Umatilla, and who had taken supper with
the Catholic priests on the fatal twenty-ninth of Novem
ber, quite unconscious of the horror that had fallen upon
Waiilatpu.
On Wednesday, December first, after concluding his visits to the sick in that neighborhood, Mr. Spalding set out on his return to Whitman s station on horseback, driv ing before him some pack horses, as was the custom of the country. When near the crossing of the Walla Walla river, and about three miles from the mission, he met Brouillet returning from Waiilatpu, accompanied by his interpreter, and Edward Tiloukaikt. The interview which took place is best told by Brouillet, as follows: " Fortu nately, a few minutes after crossing the river the interpre ter asked Tiloukaikt s son for a smoke. They proposed the calumet, but when the moment came for lighting it, there was nothing to make a fire. You have a pistol, said the interpreter; fire it and we will light. Accord ingly, without stopping, he fired his pistol, reloaded it and fired again. He then commenced smoking with the interpreter without thinking of reloading his pistol. A few minutes after, while they were thus engaged in smok ing, I saw Mr. Spalding come galloping towards me. In a moment he was at my side, taking me by the hand, and asking for news. Have you been to the doctor s? he in quired. Yes, I replied. What news? Sad news. Is any person dead? Yes, sir. Who is dead? Is it one of the doctor s children? (He had left two of them very sick.) No, I replied. Who then is dead? I hesitated to tell him. Wait a moment, said I; I cannot tell you now. While Mr. Spalding was asking me these different
12 Says Spalding : Here was an opportunity for religion to show itself if there was any. Never before had temptation come to Joseph and his native brethren in the church in this dress. But now it came, and his fall, as I regard it, and that of some others, has given the Christian world a lesson that should be well studied, before it again places the lives and property of missionaries at the mercy of lawless savages, without a military force to keep them in awe " : Oregon American, Augu
