Page:Oregon Historical Quarterly vol. 5.djvu/366

356 JOURNAL AND LETTERS OF DAVID DOUGLAS. of water I made my supper. After a cheerless night, during which the mosquitoes were excessively trouble- some, I proceeded about fifty miles the next day, when I breakfasted on similar fare. While doing this, an Indian, who stood by my side, managed to steal my knife, which had been further secured by a string tied to my jacket ; and as it was the only one I possessed, for all purposes, I offered a reward of tobacco to get it returned. This bribe being ineffectual, I commenced a search for its recovery, and found it concealed under the belt of one of the knaves. When detected, he claimed to be paid the recompense; but as I did not conceive him entitled to this, as he had not given it at first (nor given it at all indeed), I paid him certainly, and so handsomely, with my fists, that I will engage he does not forget the Man of Grass in a hurry. Having halted at night below the Great Falls of the Co- lumbia, I saw smoke rising, and thinking it might be Indians fishing, walked thither in quest of salmon. In- stead of their savage countenances I found, however, to my great delight, that it was the camp of the brigade from the sea. I can not describe the feeling which siezed me, when, after traveling some weeks together with Indians, I meet a person whom I have known before ; or if even they are strangers, yet the countenance of a Christian is at such times most delightful. In the present instance I had the additional happiness of finding myself in the society of those who had ever treated me with cordiality, and who now seemed to vie with one another in acts of kindness toward me. Observing my dejected and travel- worn plight, one fetched me some water to wash with, another handed me a clean shirt, and a third busied himself in making ready something more palatable than carrion, for my supper; while my old friends, Messrs. McDonald and Wark, handed me those best of .cordials, my letters from England. Two of these, from Mr. Sabine and my