Mr. Dyer rides out to the man, and, after explaining to him the desire of the commissioners, returns to the council fire. Oh, how near we were to witnessing a horrible murder! But it is averted for the moment, and we breathe again.
Meacham is in charge of the council talk, and finally sits down near the fire, and Captain Jack takes a seat directly opposite him, and so close that their knees almost touch. The council talk begins.
Meacham says, "We have come to-day to hear what you have to propose. You sent for us, and we are here to conclude the terms of peace, as your messengers of yesterday requested."
To this Captain Jack replies, "We want no more war. We are tired, and our women and children are afraid of the soldiers. We want them taken away, and _then_ we can make peace."
Meacham says, "Gen. Canby is in charge of the soldiers. He is your friend.
He came here, because the President sent him to look out for everybody and to see that everything goes on all right."
Captain Jack replies, "We do not want the soldiers here. They make our hearts afraid. Send them away, and we can make everything all right."
Meacham continues, "Gen. Canby has charge of the soldiers. He cannot take them away without a letter from the President. You need not be afraid. We are all your friends. We can find you a better home than this, where you can live in peace. If you will come out of the rocks and go with us, we will leave the women and children in camp over on Cottonwood or Hot Creek, and then we shall need the soldiers to make other folks stay away, while we hunt up a new home for you."
Riddle and his wife are both essential to a careful rendering of the speeches. Riddle is interpreting the Modocs" speeches into "Boston talk,"
and Tobey is translating the white men"s speeches into the "Mo-a-doc-us-ham-konk"--(Modoc language). Hence they are both giving closest attention. Riddle stands now just behind the chairman of the commissioners. Tobey is sitting a little to the left. Gen. Canby seats himself upon a rock on Meacham"s right, about three feet distant. Old Schonchin sits down in front of him. Dr. Thomas bends a sage bush, and, laying his overcoat upon it, also sits on the left and in the rear of Meacham.
Hooker Jim is restless and very watchful; sometimes standing immediately behind Captain Jack, and occasionally walking off a few steps, he scans the rocks in the direction of the soldiers" camp, and saunters back again, always, however, in front of the white men. Keep an eye on him; he is making now a declaration by his acts that will stop your heart"s blood.
"Joe Lane," the horse, is just behind Captain Jack, standing a mute and unsuspecting witness of the act now being played.
Watch that demon, Hooker Jim! See him stoop down, and while his eye is fixed on Meacham, he is securing "Joe Lane" to a sage bush, pushing the knot of the halter close to the ground. He slowly rises, and, while patting the horse on the neck, calling him by name, and telling him he is a "fine horse," still keeping his eye on Meacham, with his left hand he takes the overcoat from the saddle, and with a stealthy, half-hesitating motion, slowly inserts his arm in the sleeve, and then without changing his position or his eyes, quickly thrusts his right arm in the other sleeve, and with a heavy shrug jerks the coat squarely on his shoulders; and, having b.u.t.toned it up from top to bottom, smiting his breast with his hand, he says, "Me old man Meacham, now. Bogus, you think me look like old man Meacham?" My dear reader, he does not fasten that horse for Meacham.
He does not put on the coat because he is cold, nor merely as a joke. No, he does not mean anything of that kind. He intends to make sure of the horse and coat, and, at the same time, provoke a quarrel, and make the way easy for the b.l.o.o.d.y attack.
Meacham fully understands the import and intention of this side-play, but, with a.s.sumed indifference, remarks, "Hooker Jim, you had better take my hat also," at the same time lifting it from his head. Watch the play on that scoundrel"s face as lie replies, "No. Sno-ker gam-bla sit-ka caitch-con-a bos-ti-na chock-i-la"--("I will, by-and-by. Don"t hurry, old man.")
This speech completes the declaration of what they intended to do. There can be no longer any doubt as to the purpose of these bloodthirsty desperadoes. O G.o.d! is there no help now? Can nothing be done to save our friends? They read their fate in Hooker"s action. They realize how fearfully near the impending doom must be. Every face is blanched; but no words of fear are uttered. Dyer, with a face of marble, walks slowly to his horse, now on the right of the group, and, going to the farthest side of him, pretends to be arranging the trappings of his saddle with his face towards the council fire. Riddle, pale and aghast, makes excuse to change the fastenings of the saddle on his wife"s horse, which stands behind Dr.
Thomas. Tobey, who has been sitting in front of the doctor, with a half child-like yawn throws herself carelessly at full length on the ground, resting on her elbows. Every act tells, too plainly to be mistaken, how each one feels and what they are expecting.
Both Dyer and Riddle intend to be covered by their horses when they start on a run for life. Tobey evidently does not intend to be in the way of the bullets that are now lying quietly on their beds of powder in the little iron chambers of the pistols under the coats of the red devils. She sees clearly that the storm, which is evidently coming up with a great black hurrying cloud from the west, will precipitate the effusion of blood that is now leaping and halting in the veins of the doomed men who sit almost motionless, waiting, watching, listening for the signal of death to be given, wondering how it will come. Will it be from ambushed men, a volley, a sting, and a war-whoop; and then, while the soul is making its exit, will the eye, growing dim, behold the infuriated monsters, with gleaming knives uplifted, spring on the helpless body? Will the ear, as life ebbs away, be lulled by streams of blood trickling on the rocks? Are angels hovering near to convey their souls away? Is G.o.d omnipresent? Is He omniscient? Is He omnipotent? Does he hear prayer? Will not G.o.d interpose now when human aid is beyond reach?
Oh, how the mind recalls the past, outstripping the lightning flash, while it pa.s.ses in review the scenes from the cradle to this hour!--all the bright and happy days; the dark clouds and direful storms that have swept over the soul, and realizing the still more awful agony of the farewell greetings of sad-faced Hope leaving the heart; for until this last act of Hooker Jim"s she had lingered lovingly on the threshold undecided. Words may not tell the anguish, the gloom, the terrible loneliness without her presence. Every heart breathes a prayer for her return. "Oh, come back to us now; be with us in this expiring hour of life"s last midnight!"
Thank Heaven, she comes again clad in garments, not as in days past, made up of ambitions and worldly dreams, but in shining robes of spotless purity and immortal light, and she whispers, "Be of good cheer, the journey is short, and it is but a change from one life to another;" and though the voyage be stormy and the night be dark it will end in a morning of eternal day in the beautiful sunlit summer-land where sorrows come no more.
Meacham turns towards Gen. Canby and invites him to talk. Every movement is scrutinized by the Modocs. Meacham has made an excuse to look Gen.
Canby in the face. He sees plainly that the general understands the situation. Will he, oh! will he not promise to remove the soldiers on the demand that has been so often made? It would avert the tragedy. It would save the lives that are banging on his words. Will he do it? Surely, now, when convinced, as he must be, that the threat will be executed, will he not feel justified in yielding? Now that the Modocs have absolved him from all obligations to them, will he grant their request; or will the high and extraordinary sense of honor that controlled his reply to Meacham in the morning, when the latter proposed to grant "any demand made, rather than give the a.s.sa.s.sins an excuse for murder," control him now? Every eye is on him. The Modocs understand that he is chief.
He stands upright in form, and character as well. He looks the great man he is. His face alone shows the intensity of his feelings. His lip quivers slightly, as it always does under excitement. He speaks slowly:--
"Tobey, tell these people that the President of the United States sent the soldiers here to protect them as well as the white men. They are all friends of the Indians. They _cannot be taken away without the President"s consent_. Tell them that when I was a young man I was sent to move a band of Indians from their old home to a new one. They did not like me at first, but when they became acquainted with me they liked me so well that they made me a chief, and gave me a name that signified "Friend of the Indian." I also removed another tribe to a new home; and they, too, made me a chief, and gave me a name that meant "The tall man." Many years afterwards I visited these people, and they came a long distance to meet me, and were very glad to see me. Tell them I have no doubt that sometime the Modocs will like me as those people did, and will recognize me as their friend."
As the general sits down, Meacham turns to Doctor Thomas, and invites him to speak. _The doctor drops forward on his knees_, and, with his right hand on Meacham"s left shoulder, says, "Tobey, tell these people, for me, that I believe the _Great Spirit_ put it into the heart of the President to send us here to make peace. We are all children of one Father. Our hearts are all open to him. He sees all we do. He knows all our hearts. We are all their friends. I have known Gen. Canby eight years; I have known Mr. Meacham fourteen years, and I have known Mr. Dyer four years. I know all their hearts are good. They are good men. We do not want any more bloodshed. We want to be friends of yours. G.o.d sees all we do. He will hold us all responsible for what we do."
The doctor resumes his seat. Captain Jack is ill at ease. His men are watching him closely. They evidently distrust him.
Meacham has almost decided in his mind that when the attack is made Captain Jack will throw himself in the breach, and, if he takes part at all, it will be with the white men.
The chief is slow to give the signal to begin. He is not in position according to the programme arranged in the morning. He had hoped that the demand for the withdrawal of the troops would be complied with. He sits now with his hands on his knees, staring into Meacham"s face. He meets a gaze intense as his own. What are the thoughts of his mind? He is wavering. Perhaps he may refuse to sanction the butchery. He feels that his own people are watching him. Suddenly, rising to his feet, he turns his back on the white men. He is walking away from them. See! he stops!
Schonchin springs to the seat Captain Jack has left, and, with eyes gleaming with the pent-up fury of h.e.l.l, begins to talk. His voice is loud, and betokens great excitement. How savage he looks now, while he says, "Give us Hot Creek for a home, and take the soldiers away."
"Maybe we cannot get Hot Creek for you," replies Mr. Meacham.
Then Schonchin says, "I have been told we could have Hot Creek."
Meacham asks, "Did Fairchild or Dorris say you could have it?"
"No," replied Schonchin; "but Nate Beswick said we could have Hot Creek."
"Hot Creek belongs to Fairchild and Dorris," says Meacham. "We can see them about it, and if we can get it you may have it."
"_Take away your soldiers and give us Hot Creek, or quit talking. I am tired of talking. I talk no more_," shouts Schonchin in loud tones, and with eyes burning with pa.s.sion.
The interpreter is rendering the speech, but, before it is finished, Captain Jack, who has returned to the group, and is standing a step behind Schonchin, gives a signal, and the Modoc war-whoop starts every one present to his feet (except Tobey, who lays close to the ground); catching the sound, and oh! the sight, too, of Barncho and Slolux coming with the rifles.
"Jack, what does that mean?" demands Meacham.
The answer came quickly. Captain Jack, thrusting his right hand under the left breast of his coat, draws a six-shooter, and shouts in a loud voice, "_Ot-we-kau-tux!_"--("All ready!")
[Ill.u.s.tration: THE a.s.sa.s.sINATION SCENE.
1. General Canby.
2. Colonel Meacham.
3. Doctor Thomas.
4. Tobey Riddle, reclining.
5. Frank Riddle.
6. Mr. Dyer.
7. Captain Jack.
8. Schonchin.
9. Boston Charley.
10. Shacknasty Jim.
11. Hooker Jim.
12. Ellen"s Man.
13. Bogus Charley.
14. Black Jim.
15. Horse held by Riddle.
16. Horse held by Dyer.
17. Horse.]
Holding the barrel with his left hand, and c.o.c.king the pistol with his right, he points it at Gen. Canby"s head, touches the trigger, and explodes the cap, but does not the powder. Quickly he revolves the cylinder, and again presents it to the petrified general, who stands unmoved. Why, oh, why does he not close on the monster, and wrench the weapon from him? Quick, general, quick! He is too late. Another instant, and a shot is pa.s.sing through his head. He does not fall, but turns and flees. Jack and "Ellen"s Man" pursue him until he falls on the rocks. They close on him. Captain Jack holds him by the shoulder, while the other cuts him across the neck. In the fall his chin struck on the rocks and shattered his lower jaw. The monsters strip him of every article of clothing, while he is struggling in the agonies of death. Barncho comes up now, and "Ellen"s Man" s.n.a.t.c.hes a rifle from his hands, and, pointing at the general, discharges it, and another ball pa.s.ses entirely through his head. They turn him on his face, and leave him in the last agony of a horrible death, while, with his uniform on their arms, they go back to the council tent.
Look towards the soldiers" camp. Two men are running. The foremost one is Dyer, and following him is Hooker Jim, who fires repeatedly at Dyer, who turns, and pointing his pistol, Jim drops to avoid the shot. Dyer resumes his run for life, and the other follows until Dyer has widened the s.p.a.ce between them so much that Hooker Jim, fleet as he is, abandons the chase, and returns to join the other murderers.
Over towards the lake two other men are running. The foremost one is Frank Riddle. The pursuer is Black Jim, who fires rapidly at Riddle; in fact, he is not trying to hit him, because he knows that Scar-face Charley is watching, and if Riddle falls by a shot from Black Jim, Black Jim himself will fall by Scar-face Charley"s rifle.
[Ill.u.s.tration: BLACK JIM.]
Simultaneously with Jack"s first attack on General Canby, Boston Charley"s first shot struck Dr. Thomas in the left breast, above the heart. The doctor drops partly down, and catches with his right hand, and with the other uplifted towards his a.s.sa.s.sin, begs him to shoot no more, as he has already received a death-wound. Bogus joins Boston. They permit the doctor to get upon his feet, and start to run, when they trip him and he falls again. They taunt him with his religion, saying, "Why don"t you turn the bullets? Your medicine is not strong." The doctor rises again and walks a few steps, when they push him down, still ridiculing him. Again he pleads for them to spare his life. They laugh in his face and say, "Next time you believe a squaw, won"t you?" Once more--and it is the last time that he will ever walk in that bruised and mangled body--the doctor rises to his feet, and, going a few steps, pleading with his inhuman tormentors for mercy, and with his Maker for mercy on them, he falls to rise no more.