THE DEVELOPMEXT OF LANGUAGE. 121 



fair-minded historian, Mr. J. P. Dunn, entitled "The Massacres of the 

 ^lountains," a narrative is given, drawn from otiicial documents and 

 other authentic sources, of the outbreak of the Nez-perces in 1876, 

 After enduring many wrongs with unexampled patience, they resisted 

 at last an order so manifestly unjust that the military officers chai-ged 

 with its execution had protested against it — an order to dej^rive them 

 of their lands. They were led by their famous chief, " Nez-perc^ 

 Joseph," whom the historian pronounces " the ablest uneducated 

 chief the world ever saw." In the preliminaiy negotiations, the 

 American commissioners reported that " he exhibited an alertness 

 and dextei'ity in intellectual fencing that was quite remarkable." His 

 influence long withheld his people from rising. When they could no 

 longer be resti'ained, he put himself at their head, and displayed 

 as a leader talents worthy of Hannibal or Sertorius. He gained 

 battles by most ingenious sti-ategy, and, when repulsed by numbers, 

 proved himself as formidable in retreat as in advance. Unable to 

 maintain his ground against the forces of the American army, he 

 adopted a bold resolution. The famous " Eeti-eat of the Ten Thou- 

 f?and " was about to be surpassed by these indomitable barbarians. 

 Gathering his whole tribe, old and young, women and children, with 

 his mounted warriors in front and rear, Joseph took up his desperate 

 march, i'ar eastward and northwai-d, towards the Canadian line. The 

 distance was a thousand miles. The track led over the Rocky Moun- 

 tains in their ruggedest defiles, through wide rivers treacherous with 

 quicksands, and across long stretches of broken and arid plains. The 

 pursuing troops, guided by Indian scouts — the savage Bannocks — 

 hung upon the rear of the fugitives. Other troops from the forts on 

 the plains came hui-rying to intercept them. Joseph fought his way 

 thi'ough all, defeating them, capturing horses and ammunition, and in 

 one instance a howitzer. His warriors who fell were scalped and 

 mutilated by the Bannock scouts ; their women when captured were 

 subjected to every indignity. The Nez-perces refused to retaliate. 

 No slain enemy was scalped by them. The white women who were 

 taken were dismissed by them unharmed. Their conduct and their 

 wrongs awakened the sympathy even of the rude pioneer settlers. 

 When these were called iipon to a.ssist the soldiers, they replied, in 

 their expressive frontier phi-ase, that they " had not lost any Indians," 

 and consequently had no occasion to hunt for any. They traded 



