Cries from the Earth by Terry C. Johnston

disturb these people. I have no right to take their home. I have never taken what did not belong to me. And I will not start now.”
    Later that day, Looking Glass rode on one side of Cut-Off Arm and White Bird rode on the other as they traveled from site to site. Agency interpreter Joe Rabusco translated for them.
    â€œToohoolhoolzote meant no offense to you with his strong words,” White Bird did his best to apologize. “We were told to come to Lapwai to speak our minds. That is what the old man was doing.”
    Looking Glass had nodded in agreement, saying to Cut-Off Arm, “If you free the old man, he will be fine in the days to come.”
    The soldier chief had meditated on it a few moments without speaking, then shook his head.
    So White Bird pleaded more strongly, “He was only speaking his mind, as the men of my people have always done when in council. I know he will not do anything bad—but you can shoot me if he does.”
    â€œI agree,” Looking Glass emphasized. “If the old man causes you trouble, you can bring me in and shoot me, too.”
    That’s when Cut-Off Arm smiled and told the two chiefs, “I am glad to hear your support for the old man. But I am not going to shoot anyone. Toohoolhoolzote gave some bad advice to the council today. I want him to understand he must not give bad advice ever again. So Colonel Perry is going to keep the old man for a few days until you chiefs have selected your lands and started back to collect your people. Then I will release him, on your promise that I can punish you if he does not act right.”
    â€œThis is a good thing to do!” Looking Glass cheered. “Now I feel like laughing again!”
    But the soldier chief still appeared doubtful that all had been made right. “There are three kinds of laughter: one from fun, another from deceit, and the third from real joy.”
    â€œMine comes from real joy!” Looking Glass exclaimed, laying a hand flat against his breast. “I shall never forget this ride we are taking together, Cut-Off Arm. I shall never forget these moments with you when we talked of our new homes.”
    Having gone out with the soldier chief to choose their new lands, the chiefs turned homeward for the last time, returning to their ancient haunts to bring in their bands. All told, these Non-Treaty peoples numbered no more than seven hundred.
    Satisfied that he had struck a lasting peace, Looking Glass marched southeast for the Clearwater with his forty warriors to rejoin their Alpowai band.
    Angrily licking his wounded pride, Toohoolhoolzote eventually reached his Pikunan band of thirty warriors in that wild country of the Grande Ronde and Asotin Creek, so rugged the Shadows never came to look for the precious yellow rocks or to farm.
    Wounded in battle 3 many summers before by a cannonball that had grazed his head, leaving a large hairless patch, Huishuish Kute, the tewat called Bald, or Shorn, Head, returned home to that rocky country south of the mining town of Lewiston to bring in his small band of some sixteen Palouse warriors.
    White Bird and his fifty sullen warriors made their way back to the country of their Lamtama band near the junction of White Bird Creek and the Salmon.
    A saddened Joseph and a brooding Ollokot rode south by west, crossing the swollen Snake to the Grande Ronde, then over the next high ridge into the Imnaha. From there they climbed high into the land of the Winding Water, returning home for the final time. Before leaving the Wallowa behind forever, the brothers visited the resting place of Old Joseph. There they raised two freshly painted red-striped poles and laid a fresh horsehide over their father’s grave.
    Once he and Ollokot had argued down the shrill voices that shouted for war, once those sixty Wallowa warriors had reluctantly crisscrossed their homeland gathering up the last of their horses and cattle, Joseph’s In-an-toin-mu people began