time fired at the man at the ferry-house. ’No!’ was his prompt reply. At the time he was said to haye fired at the white man, he declared with great earmestness that he shot at a duck in the river, at a distance of some two hnndred yards from the ferry house, when on his way home, and possibly the ball of his gun might have bounded from the water. My subsequent obscrvation of the course of the river, and the point from which he was said to have fired, convinced me that his statement was entitled to the fullest credit. His statenent is confirned by the doubt cxpressed by one of the party at whom he was said to have fired.

The white men making the accusation only heard the whiz zing of a bullet. This was the only evidence addaced in proof of the chicf having fired at them. I asked the chief if he, or if to his knowledge any of his people, had cver fired at the ferry-house. To this he ansrcred, No.' ing threatening language to the men at the ferry, but admitted that some of his people had tribe ad stolen from white men, and that they had nsed their horses witliont permission, He did not deny that his heart had been bad toward white meu, and that he had hoped they would leave his country. IIe promised to do all I required of lim. If I desired, he said he would leave the home of his fathers and take his people to the monntains; but, with my permission and protec- tion, he would prcfer remaining in the present home of his people.

"Everything I asked or required of hin he readily assented to, promising most solemnly to maintain on his part permanent friendly rclations with wlhite men. My interview wit the tribe occupied ubout two hours. During the entire council they lis- tencd with most profound attention, evidently being detemined to fasten on their minds all that fell from my lips. At the con clusion of the council I requested the chief to send for all the guns and pistols in the possession of his men. You will be sur prised when I tell you that all the guns and pistols in the hands of the Indians at the ranches anounted to just five pieces, two of which were unserviceable; as to powder and ball, I do not believe they had five rounds. Does this look like being prepared for war? Can any sane man believe those Indians, numbcring not over seventy-five, all told, including women and children, had con cocted a plan to expel from their country some thrce hundred whites? Such a conclusion is too preposterous to be cntertained for a moment, There was no necessity for resorting to suclı ex He most emphatically denicd cver scnd admitted that some of his I regard the murder of those Indians as one of treme measures.