Father Joset had joined the colonel, in order to give him all the information that he had been able to gather, and with his consent he had brought the chief, Vincent, to him. The colonel told him " that he had not had the slightest intention of molesting the Coeur d'Alenes and Spokans ; that he had always considered them as very well disposed; that having learned that there was trouble between the whites and the Indians at Colville, he had set out to go and talk to them and try to bring them to agreement; that he had thought to find as he passed a good occasion to see the chiefs, with whom he desired to confer; that he had been very much astonished, the day before, to see the Coeur d'Alenes and Spokans come against him with hostile demonstrations; that he had expected that it would come to blows, and that he was glad to return without bloodshed."
He recognized Vincent and gave him credit for the efforts he had made on the previous day to prevent the conflict. In fact, it was Vincent who, with Galgalt, chief of the Spokans, had in spite of all the efforts of Telgawee managed to avert the trouble. Vincent had received a blow from a whip, from one of the Nez Perces who accompanied the expedition, who had said to him: "Boaster! why don't you
fight? " Vincent turned, and, smiling, said to him, " Hereafter you will be ashamed of having struck your relative." This same Nez Perce seems to have told the officers afterward that he had only struck the chief's horse. Vincent persisted in his statement, adding, " It would be rather strange that my horse, which is very spirited, should not
have made some movement if he had been struck." Nothing came of the affair, because Vincent and all the other chiefs, as well Coeur d'Alenes as Spokans, wanted only peace.
While Vincent was answering the colonel, his uncle came for him, saying that the Palooses were about to open fire. Father Joset at once notified the colonel, and went away with Vincent to report to the Coeur d'Alenes what