CHAPTER XXVII. CAPTAIN JACK A DIPLOMAT—SHOOT ME IF YOU DARE. The New Camp—The Modocs Allowed to Visit the Camp—Reasons for it—The Seven Hours’ Talk with Captain Jack—The Diplomatic Savage—His Skill in Debate—His Logic and his Eloquence—He has Right on his Side—This the Only Extended Talk with the Modocs—Capt. Jack’s Graphic Description of the “Ben Wright” Massacre—This Cold-blooded Butcher Rewarded by our Government—Full Report of this Meeting—Another Effort for Peace—Tobey’s Mission—The Result—She is Warned by a peace-loving Modoc—The Reports to the Commission—Some do not Believe Her—The Indiscretion of Rev. Dr. Thomas—Stirring News from the other Camp—Assassination Intended—Tobey is Sent for by the Modocs—She Goes—Affecting Farewell to Husband and Child—A Thrilling Scene in the Modoc Camp—True Heroism—“I am a Modoc Woman; Shoot Me if You Dare”—The Camp Moved—Strange Surroundings and Sad Reflections—An Incident—Peace Council with the Modocs—Their Hostile Intentions Foreshadowed—The Storm—Proposal to Adjourn—It is Treated with Contempt by Jack—Says he shall not Melt like Snow—The Council Adjourns 443 CHAPTER XXVIII. WHO HAD BEEN THERE—WHO HAD NOT. General Gilliam’s Opinion about Taking the Modocs—Colonel Mason’s Opinion—Difference in Judgment—Another Discussion Going On—Colonel Greene Speaks—Colonel Tom Wright in Commissioners’ Tent—A Growl—Wager Offered—Proposition to Send Away Nine Hundred Soldiers—Waiting for the Warm Springs—Desertion—Common Soldiers’ Opinion—They Want Peace—Commissioners’ Cooking—Work Divided—Canby Enjoys a Joke—“Don’t Throw Off on Bro. Dyer” 457 CHAPTER XXIX. UNDER A WOMAN’S HAT—THE LAST APPEAL.

New Efforts for Peace—Dr. Thomas’ Faith—It Avails Little—Riddle Appealed to—The Author’s Fatal Absence—Modoc Cunning—The Guileless Betrayed—The Author’s Fears—The Compact Made—The Last Breakfast—The Indian Judas—He Wants Meacham to Wear his New Boots—The Modoc Council—Captain Jack and Scar-face Oppose the Massacre—The Former Taunted with being a White Squaw—Being only a Representative Chief he Yields to the Majority—The Bloody Work Allotted to Each—Another Butchery Agreed upon—The Warning Repeated but Unheeded—Canby and Dr. Thomas are Determined to go—The Latter Seems Doubtful of the Result—The Farewell Letter—Tobey and Riddle Implore them not to go—Meacham Makes One More Effort to Save Life—He Pleads with Dr. Thomas and General Canby—A Sad Scene and a Terrible Resolution—The Derringer Pistol—Departure for the Scene of Slaughter 462 CHAPTER XXX. ASSASSINATION—“KAU-TUX-E”—THE DEATH PRAYER SMOTHERED BY BLOOD—RESCUED.

The Scene near the Council Tent—Several Desperate Modocs Described—Preparing for the Carnival of Death—The Boy Murderers and their Weapons—Bogus and Boston Announce the Approach of the Commission—Why does Meacham Remove his Overcoat—The Modocs Suspiciously Cordial—Fighting a Battle with Pride—Appearance of the Commissioners—Hooker Jim’s Strange Movements—The Intruder Near the Council Tent—The Butchery for the Time Being Averted—Hooker-Jim’s Ominous Movements—He puts on Meacham’s Overcoat—“Me old man Meacham now”—This Act is instantly Interpreted—All are Conscious of their Impending Doom—Reflections During the Fleeting Moments—What will General Canby Say—Will he Accede to the Demand of the Modocs and thus Avert Death—Will he Take the Soldiers Away—He Breaks the Silence—Duty Dearer than Life—Death before Dishonor—Dr. Thomas’s Last Speech—What will Captain Jack do now—Will he Give the Signal—He Changes Places with Schonchin—The Manner of the Latter—The Attack Begins—General Canby the First to Fall—His Horrible Death—Dyer is Shot at by Hooker-Jim—He Makes his Escape—Riddle Pursued by Black Jim—The Latter Fires at Random—The Reason—The Bloody Work of Boston and Hooker-Jim—Dr. Thomas’s Tragic End—His Murderers Taunt him with his Religion—Why don’t he Turn the Bullets—Schonchin, his Dagger and his Pistol—Meacham Attacked by Schonchin—Slolux and Shack-Nasty Jim—The Struggle for Life—Tobey’s Efforts to save Him—The Dreadful Scene of the Tragedy—Boston as a Scalper—The Squaw Tobey—Her Strategy—Another Bloody Tragedy Planned but not Executed—Lethargy followed by Vigorous Action—Meacham Discovered—The Stretcher—Brandy—“No Time for Temperance Talk”—The Council Tent a Winding-sheet—Rewards to the Couriers—The Eighty-three Mile Race—The Gray and the Pinto—The Exultant Winner 478 CHAPTER XXXI. HARNESSED LIGHTNING CARRYING AWFUL TIDINGS—HE MAKES IT—A BROKEN FINGER WON’T DISFIGURE A CORPSE. Making Coffins in the Lava Bed—The Patient in the Hospital—A Broken Finger will not Disfigure a Corpse—The Commotion in the Modoc Camp—The Disputes—Common Interest a Strong Bond—The Great Medicine Dance—The Modocs Exultant—The Wife’s Suspense—The Dreadful News—Its Effect on Wife and Children—First Robbed by the Government, then its Defenders—Our Nation’s Perfidy—The Sorrowful Hearts at Home—Prayer and Praise in Camp—A Lesson for Bigots and Cowards to Learn—The Medicine Man in the Modoc Camp—He Fires the Modoc Heart—Capt. Jack Despondent—Long Jim—Novel Scene in the Soldier’s Camp—The Murder of the Commission to be Avenged—Long Jim Escapes—Much Powder Wasted—“Nary a Wound” 508 CHAPTER XXXII. HORIZONTAL PYROTECHNICS—THE SCALP MIRACLE—KILLED IN PETTICOATS—THE PRESENTIMENT.

Preparations for Another Battle—Stretchers for the Wounded—Mattresses and Lint—The Wounded Man in the Hospital Expects Company—The Iowa Veteran—The Signal for Battle—It Begins—Re-echoing of Cannon—The Assault—No Response Yet—Volleys from the Concealed Foe—The Retreat—The Dead and Wounded—The Pat-riotic Sutler—The Walking Sage Brush—The Wounded Pony—Pat’s Head in Danger—The Flat Assaulted—Lieut. Eagan Falls—The Two Stages—The Remains of the Lamented Dead—The Bereaved Widow and the Stricken Wife—The Wounded Warm Spring Indian—He Ridicules Modoc Powder—The Modocs out of