Governor Stevens: “Alexander said yesterday that he would come up here. Why did you not answer and say ‘Come’?”
Victor: “Yesterday I did talk.”
Governor Stevens: “Alexander said yesterday he offered to give up his land and go to you. Alexander says you made no answer. Why did you not say, ‘Yes, come to my place’?”
Victor: “I did not understand it so.”
Governor Stevens: “Ambrose says he understood Alexander to say so. Alexander says he said so. You did not speak and say, ‘Come to my place,’ but you were dumb. Does Victor mean to say that he will neither let Alexander come to his place nor go to Alexander’s?”
Ambrose, Til-coos-tay, Red Wolf, and Bear Tracks, Flathead chiefs, took up the discussion, pouring oil on the troubled waters, and excusing Victor for not speaking in answer to Alexander at their own council.
At length the governor said:—
“My children, I find that things are nearer to an agreement than when we began talking this morning. Ambrose says the people are not quite prepared, but will be ready by and by. Ambrose says, ‘Be patient and listen.’ I am patient, and have been patient and listened to them. Others of you have said they they were hiding their minds and did not speak; hence I reproved you and said, ’speak out, let us have your hearts.’ It seems many of the Flatheads are ready to go to the mission. If their chief says so, they will go. Victor says, ‘I am ready to go, but my people will not;’ but the people say they are ready to go. We want all parties to speak straight, to let us have their hearts, then we can agree. If Victor’s people will go, we want Victor as a chief to say, ‘I will go.’”
Victor here arose and left the council. After a pause of some minutes Governor Stevens said:—
“I will ask Ambrose where is Victor?”