“Warm Springs!  Warm Springs!  Wascos, Wascos!”

They were calling in jargon, and recognizing them as friendly Indians, and not Snakes and therefore enemies, both Jim Clark and Perry Maupin called out, “For God’s sake, boys, don’t shoot!” We halted among them without firing a shot.  They then related to us their story.  They were camped at the place hunting when the Snakes came upon them about 1 o’clock the previous evening.  A skirmish had taken place, but without serious consequences on either side, when the Snakes made overtures for peace, saying they did not want to fight them, that they were only enemies of the white man.  They proposed, in order to settle the terms of peace, that the two chiefs, Polina, or as some give the name, Penina, chief of the Snakes, and Queapama, chief of the Warm Springs and Wascos, should meet half way alone and unarmed.

All the Warm Springs earnestly opposed the meeting, feeling certain that treachery was meditated.  But Queapama believed otherwise, and the two chiefs, in sight of their people, went out to the meeting.  Scarcely had Queapama reached the Snake chief when he was treacherously murdered by a concealed assassin.  Burning for revenge, the Warm Springs renewed the fight, when the Snakes drew off and were seen no more.

They now volunteered to go with us in pursuit of the Snakes, who, they declared, could not be many hours ahead.  The Snakes, they argued, could be easily overtaken as they were practically in their own country and would travel leisurely.  We knew the two tribes were traditional enemies and the presence of their dead chief was evidence that their friendship for us could be relied upon.  The Warm Springs, however, held the Snakes in great dread and never ventured far into their country.  The present camp was on neutral territory, and was the main hunting grounds of the former tribe.  Polina was especially dreaded, and was believed by the Warm Springs to be bullet-proof.  Many told of having shot him in the middle of the forehead, but that the bullet dropped down without injuring him.  But may-be-so the white man had “good medicine” and could kill him.  Although with such superstitious dread we did not value the aid of the Warm Springs very highly, yet we knew them to be good trailers and skillful scouts, hence their company was accepted, the more readily as we would soon enter the pine timber of the McKay mountains.

Accordingly, after filling our “cantenas” with dried venison from the camp of our allies, we again took the trail.  Our horses were fresh and as the Warm Springs were such splendid trailers we made good progress, especially after entering the pine timber.  The Indians acted also as scouts, skirting each side of the trail and keeping well in advance.  No effort had here been made by the Snakes to cover their tracks, and we followed at a rapid pace.  The trail led up the west branch of Trout creek and in a southerly direction.  We had not gone more than four miles when we came to