Yet we will fight, too; the white man does not love war,
but he will go to battle when his cause is just and war must be."

"So will the deer and the cayote fight when they can flee no longer.
The Indian loves battle. He loves to seek out his enemy, to grapple
with him, and to tread him down. That is a man's life!"

There was a wild grandeur in the chief's tone. All the tameless spirit
of his race seemed to speak through him, the spirit that has met
defeat and extermination rather than bow its neck to the yoke of
civilization. Cecil realized that on the iron fibre of the war-chief's
nature his pleading made no impression whatever, and his heart sank
within him.

Again he tried to speak of the ways of peace, but the chief checked
him impatiently.

"That is talk for squaws and old men. Multnomah does not understand
it. Talk like a man, if you wish him to listen. Multnomah does not
forgive; Multnomah wants no peace with his enemies. If they are weak
he tramples on them and makes them slaves; if they are strong he
fights them. When the Shoshones take from Multnomah, he takes from
them; if they give him war he gives them war; if they torture one
Willamette at the stake, Multnomah stretches two Shoshones upon
red-hot stones. Multnomah gives hate for hate and war for war. This is
the law the Great Spirit has given the Indian. What law he has given
the white man, Multnomah knows not nor cares!"

Baffled in his attempt, Cecil resorted to another line of persuasion.
He set before Multnomah the arts, the intelligence, the splendor of
the white race.

"The Indian has his laws and customs, and that is well; but why not
council with the white people, even as chiefs council together? Send
an embassy to ask that wise white men be sent you, so that you may
learn of their arts and laws; and what seems wise and good you can
accept, what seems not so can be set aside. I know the ways that lead
back to the land of the white man; I myself would lead the embassy."

It was a noble conception,--that of making a treaty between this
magnificent Indian confederacy and New England for the purpose of
introducing civilization and religion; and for a moment he lost sight
of the insurmountable obstacles in the way.

"No," replied the chief, "neither alone nor as leader of a peace party
will your feet ever tread again the path that leads back to the land
of the white man. We want not upon our shoulders the burden of his
arts and laws. We want