he
and his Walla Wallas would not arm to meet "the Bostons."
Even Tauitau said: "If the Bostons come to fight us I will not raise my gun. I will sit in my house. If they will, they may kill me. I shall not resist."
The Nez Perec's refused to join them. Only Five Crows and the murderers were left to lead the hostiles.
Swiftly gliding down the Columbia the rescued ones met the fifty riflemen landing at the Dalles. Ogden was amazed at the daring of this handful.
"Go back with us, go back," he urged. "You can do nothing. All the tribes will unite against you. The idea of sending a party up there this winter is the wildest notion I ever heard of. You had better burn the mission buildings here and go back to the valley."
But the Americans firmly answered, "No," and proceeded to fortify the mission at the Dalles.
Worried, troubled, nervous from loss of sleep, Peter Skeen Ogden went on to Fort Vancouver. Douglas immediately despatched a letter to the anxious settlement at the Falls.
It was Sunday morning when the courier arrived and found the governor and his people at church. The welcome message was read from the pulpit:
Mr. Ogden has this moment arrived with three boats from Walla Walla, and I rejoice to say he has brought down all the women and children from Waiilatpu and Mr. and Mrs. Spalding. . . . Mr. Ogden will visit the Falls on Monday. . . .
In haste, yours respectfully,
JAMES DOUGLAS.
Portland was but a village in the woods, but it fired a salute as the boats went by; again the salute rang out as the gray-haired old hero landed his burden of sixty
