ns are cruel and revengeful, and
surely these people had reason to hate the race who had driven them from
their homes if any people ever had. Yet it is a fact that when Joseph
met visitors and travelers in the Park, some of whom were women, he
allowed them to pass unharmed, and in at least one instance let them
have horses. He told me that he gave strict orders to his men not to
kill any women or children. He wished to meet his adversaries according
to their own standards of warfare, but he afterward learned that in
spite of professions of humanity, white soldiers have not seldom been
known to kill women and children indiscriminately.

Another remarkable thing about this noted retreat is that Joseph's
people stood behind him to a man, and even the women and little boys did
each his part. The latter were used as scouts in the immediate vicinity
of the camp.

The Bittersweet valley, which they had now entered, was full of game,
and the Indians hunted for food, while resting their worn-out ponies.
One morning they had a council to which Joseph rode over bareback, as
they had camped in two divisions a little apart. His fifteen-year-old
daughter went with him. They discussed sending runners to Sitting Bull
to ascertain his exact whereabouts and whether it would be agreeable to
him to join forces with the Nez Perces. In the midst of the council,
a force of United States cavalry charged down the hill between the
two camps. This once Joseph was surprised. He had seen no trace of the
soldiers and had somewhat relaxed his vigilance.

He told his little daughter to stay where she was, and himself cut right
through the cavalry and rode up to his own teepee, where his wife met
him at the door with his rifle, crying: "Here is your gun, husband!" The
warriors quickly gathered and pressed the soldiers so hard that they
had to withdraw. Meanwhile one set of the people fled while Joseph's own
band entrenched themselves in a very favorable position from which they
could not easily be dislodged.

General Miles had received and acted on General Howard's message, and he
now sent one of his officers with some Indian scouts into Joseph's camp
to negotiate with the chief. Meantime Howard and Sturgis came up with
the encampment, and Howard had with him two friendly Nez Perce scouts
who were directed to talk to Joseph in his own language. He decided that
there was nothing to do but surrender.

He had believed that his escape was all but secu