244 TJoe " Dreamers " of the Columbia River Valley. 



five miles, but the route to them was so devious and so precip- 

 itous, over broken basalt, that quite two hours elapsed before 

 we reached the plain, and were met by a procession headed by 

 Smoholla in person, all attired in gorgeous array and mounted 

 on their best chargers. We wended our way through sage brush 

 and sand dunes to the village street, not a soul being visible ; but 

 from the mat-roofed and walled salmon houses there came forth the 

 most indescribable sound of bell-ringing, drum-beating, and cat-sur- 

 passing screeches. I noticed that the street was neatly swept and 

 well sprinkled, an unusual thing in any Indian village. This, Smoholla 

 said, was in my honor, and to show that his people had cleanly tastes. 

 Our procession passed on beyond the village to a new canvass tent 

 which had a brush shade to keep off the sun, and was lined and car- 

 peted with new and very pretty matting. This, Smoholla said, had 

 been prepared especially for me and was to be my house as long as I 

 should stay with him. To cap the climax, he had constructed a bench 

 for me, having sent to Ainsworth on the Northern Pacific railroad, 

 more than ninety miles distant for the nails. 



Fresh salmon, caught in a peculiar trap among the rocks and broiled 

 on a plank, were regularly furnished my party, and with hard-tack 

 and coffee of our own supplying, we got enough to eat and drink. 

 Ourown blankets furnished sleeping conveniences. The river was within 



At daybreak the next morning the sound of drums was again heard, 

 and for days it continued. I do not remember that there was any 



I was invited to^e present, and took great interest in the ceremo- 



There was a small open space to the north of the larger house, which 

 ™. Si m „fcnll.,> a ™d,Wn ami +.b« vilW nssombl v-room as well. The 



