CHAPTER IV.
Captain Jack becomes Chief of his people.—John Schonchin,[1] Sub-chief, loved by his people.—No trouble with the whites.—Jack's orders obeyed.—Jack becomes a mighty trapper.
Capt. Jack, though young and inexperienced as a leader, called a council. Told his people that through him, they, his people, would never be led in a trap and killed. "Now, we will go and see about our killed relatives." The second day after the Wright massacre, Jack's men and women were at the scene of the massacre. They gathered all they could find and cremated them. They only recovered about half of the killed; the rest had sunk to the bottom of the river. Jack kept watch along the river for months and recovered a few more of the dead.
Jack and his people dodged the white people for about two years. He never offered to kill any white people. He told his men that he wanted the white man as a friend, not as an enemy. Jack goes to Yreka, California, taking some of his men with him. He finds a man in Yreka that tells him he will be his friend and help him and his people. This man was Judge of Siskiyou County, California (Judge Roseborough). He proved to be a true friend to Jack afterwards.
Jack returned to his home on Lost River,[2] Oregon, in a few days, and told his followers that he and his men were well treated in Yreka, and had been assured by Roseborough (Big Chief, he called him) that he would be a friend to the Modocs. He told them, "I know he meant what he said; we will live in peace from now on. I will go and see Roseborough again soon; I want to find some more men like Roseborough."
In a short time he made another trip to Yreka. He was welcomed by the whites at Yreka. He stayed in town five or six days. Jack got acquainted with several leading men of Yreka, among them John Fairchilds, E. Steele, Pres. Dorris, and others. These men told Jack to live in peace in his
