ESCAPE OF MR. CAMFIELD.



at a certain time for his use. But the Canadian failing to
appear with his horse, Mr. C. set out on foot, and under
cover of night, in the direction of the Lapwai mission.
He arrived in the Nez Perce country on Thursday. On
the following day he came upon a camp of these people,
and procured from them a guide to Lapwai, without, how-
ever, speaking of what had occurred at Waiilatpu.
  The caution of Mr. Camfield relates to a trait of Indian
character which the reader of Indian history must bear in
mind, that is, the close relationship and identity of feeling
of allied tribes. Why he did not inform the Nez Perces
of the deed done by their relatives, the Cayuses, was be-
cause in that case he would have expected them to have
sympathized with their allies, even to the point of making
him a prisoner, or of taking his life. It is this fact concern-
ing the Indian character, which alone furnishes an excuse
for the conduct of Mr. McBean and the Catholic priests.
Upon it Mr. Camfield acted, making no sign of fear, nor
betraying any knowledge of the terrible matter on his
mind to the Nez Perces.
  On Saturday afternoon Mr. C. arrived at Mrs. Spalding's
house and dismissed his guide with the present of a buf-
falo robe. When he was alone with Mrs. Spalding he
told his unhappy secret. It was then that the strength
and firmness of Mrs. Spalding's character displayed itself
in her decisive action. Well enough she knew the close
bond between the Nez Perces and Cayuses, and also the
treachery of the Indian character. But she saw that if
affairs were left to shape themselves as Mr. Camfield
entreated they might be left to do, putting off the evil
day,-that when the news came from the Cayuses, there
would be an outbreak.
  The only chance of averting this danger was to inform
the chiefs most attached to her, at once, and throw herself



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