junk and hard bread, which formed their regular diet on the march.  In digging up the potatoes some one discovered half a keg of powder, which had been buried in the garden by the good father to prevent the hostile Indians from getting it to use against the whites.  As soon as this was unearthed wild excitement ensued, and a cry arose that Father Pandoza was the person who furnished powder to the Indians; that here was the proof; that at last the mysterious means by which the Indians obtained ammunition was explained—­and a rush was made for the mission building.  This was a comfortable log-house of good size, built by the Indians for a school and church, and attached to one end was the log-cabin residence of the priest.  Its destruction was a matter of but a few moments.  A large heap of dry wood was quickly collected and piled in the building, matches applied, and the whole Mission, including the priest’s house, was soon enveloped in flames, and burned to the ground before the officers in camp became aware of the disgraceful plundering in which their men were engaged.

The commanding officer having received no news from Captain Maloney during the day, Colonel Nesmith and I were ordered to go to his rescue, as it was concluded that he had been surrounded by Indians in the Natchez Pass.  We started early the next morning, the snow falling slightly as we set out, and soon arrived at the eastern mouth of the Natchez Pass.  On the way we noticed an abandoned Indian village, which had evidently not been occupied for some time.  As we proceeded the storm increased, and the snow-fall became deeper and deeper, until finally our horses could not travel through it.  In consequence we were compelled to give up further efforts to advance, and obliged to turn back to the abandoned village, where we encamped for the night.  Near night-fall the storm greatly increased, and our bivouac became most uncomfortable; but spreading my blankets on the snow and covering them with Indian matting, I turned in and slept with that soundness and refreshment accorded by nature to one exhausted by fatigue.  When I awoke in the morning I found myself under about two feet of snow, from which I arose with difficulty, yet grateful that it had kept me warm during the night.

After a cup of coffee and a little hard bread, it was decided we should return to the main camp near the Mission, for we were now confident that Maloney was delayed by the snow, and safe enough on the other side of the mountains.  At all events he was beyond aid from us, for the impassable snowdrifts could not be overcome with the means in our possession.  It turned out that our suppositions as to the cause of his delay were correct.  He had met with the same difficulties that confronted us, and had been compelled to go into camp.

Meanwhile valuable time had been lost, and the Indians, with their families and stock, were well on their way to the Okenagan country, a region into which we could not penetrate in the winter season.  No other course was therefore left but to complete the dismal failure of the expedition by returning home, and our commander readily gave the order to march back to the Dalles by the “short” route over the Yakima Mountains.