The daily intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Territory [i.e. Wash.]) 1876-1881, 1879-08-13

trunk IN two. leaving the jagged end
OF the broken trunk almost on a line
with the rock. but little overlapping
It. The top ofthe tree had been swept
down the stream. Now, we had TO pass
the tree. and in the few feet there was
TO spare TO draw the canoe 70 the right
sufficiently to clear the rock. sprang
to the conclusion ths. il could not be
done. / consoled myself TO the loss Of
my clothing; but did not like to lose
nv barometers. as I saw must. For
the ducking cared nothing. was 90
old surf swimmer on the rough Allan
tic coat. and had no fear Of being
drowned III this river.
The Indian 10 the stern began to pad.
'lle 80 ss to get control Of the boat; the
bow man dragged . paddle up between
his feet; the rest shifted . little in the
boat and held their uplifte1 paddles
above the wste' to the right Of the
canoe. Ny bowman stood drawn back,
we'll braced bv bis hold on the canoe
with his bare feet. . heavy fir pole in
his hand. his arms drawn back and
raised to strike. Breathless l watched
the tree. We were there; l could put
my hand on it. The bowman threw bis
weight forward and made blow at the
rock. The paddles were instantly IN
the water and the canoe being drawn
clear; she trsmbled. the pole bent, and
with the report like that of q pistol
snapped short of, and my bow man
fell. no. into the water. but on his
knees IN tho boat. Before his knees
were down he had his paddle in the
water. and the canoe glided swiftly
past. Just grazing the granite rock.
tsrrIed ct the Sank Pass for several
days, while the msin party went on to
the Lake Chelan. Ny orders we're to
stay six days, then TO 60 to the mouth
of the Wenstchee river. . tributary Of
the Columbis. and visit there until my
chief returned. So l started of one
fine morning alone and on foot to walk
70 the Wsnatchee. l strolled along
through the open forests OF yellow
pine. on TO the eastern slope of the
Cascade Mountains / fished, shot
gtolsc. frightened bear. and was soon
walking on "tunch grass" l neared
the mouth OF the Wenstchee one after
noou. and reached the trading post, .
h,tl. log house Of two rooms, with Q
root Of sail cloth. A counter of one
rough board stretches along one side Of
the front room; q few splintered shelves
stocked with cheap goods Of bright
colors; pile Of bacon sides iu one cor.
ner, from which small streams Of lard
escape and creep over the floor; . pile
Of -four. in the sack. in another corner;
few stools; = row Of kcgs. some
empty, some full; . bale Of blankets;
two guns, aud some six-shoOters hung
from pegs; tin cups, dirty tin plates,
q rough table covered with 3 green
blanket. around which sat three Indians
and white man playing poker. This
was the "out6t."
There being no money. pistol balls
were used. ten balls being worth cali,
and the stakes were live stock. One
Indian wagered calf blind. He was
promptly straddled by the white man
with u COW; and so it required two
cows TO "come in" Once an Indian
antied colt slept on the floor. and
when the rising sun shOne in my face
awoke. aud still the game was going
on EARLY i'll the morning the Indians
had lost Ill their stock and the game
was ended. The branding irons were
quickly heated; the stock were driven
into the corral, and the red-hot irons of
the white poker player were pressed
against their sides. The Indians then
mounted and rode off toward Chelsn
Lake.
While waiting for the Lake Chelan
party to return to the Wepstchee, /
fished one night in the Columbia. ssd
far up ths river heard the sound of
paddles striking against the sides Of q
canoe and knew that the Chelsn psT-
ty WAS returning: They came. and !
handed the chief telegram that had
been sent after US from Seattle. Puget
Sound, by an Indian runner. Ijoyfully
heard that he WAS recalled by it to New
York. BE started the next morning.
lamented by none. Then Tenant and
| undertook to buy horses to ride to the
Spokan river. an eastern tributary OF
the Columbis. Fortune favored US.
Moses the acknowledged chief of oil the
Columbia river Indians. rode up to the
post, with two Indian servants ct his
horses heels. l was greatly plsased
With the looks Of this man Moses. He
Was handsome, tall. and Of . grand
bearing. He shcok hauds with us. and
pleasantly welcomed us to his land.
Tenusnt being an expert in Chinook
engaged him in conversation. Noses
comprehended our wants instantly. and
sold US two horses for $50 each.
We crossed the Wenatcbee, and
mounting our hsrses. rode down to the
Rock Island rapids; there We turned of
into . coulee. and were soon in one OF
the villages Of these civilized and mon-
strously wronged Indisns. was sur
pris<d at What l saw; we'll titled fields
Of wheat. corn. potatoes end melons;
good fences enclo<ins their crops; de-
cent log houses We met the Indian
Potato John" so called from the large
quantities Of this vegetable he grows
to sell to the miners. 4 good herd of
horses and cattle grszed cn the bunch
grass about. ate my share Of q meal
served III his house-boilei wheat.
fresh sAlmon, green eorh. potatoes, and
bu,ter-a better meal than most Of the
house. now occupied by white men who
have settled in that country can posi-.
bly, afford.
trsvlled on and tried to buy . CO.
noe, wishing to descend to the Colum-
bia and float down that stream. until