CARIBOO 35

But, when a rabble of two thousand angry
miners gathered round the store, the rifles
were handed over on condition that forty of
the worst fire-eaters in the band should remain
behind. Snyder then led his men up the
river and joined the first company at Spuzzum.
At China Bar five miners were found hiding
inaholein the bank. With a number of com-
panions they had been driven down-stream
from the Thompson by Indians and had been
sniped all the way for forty miles. Man after
man had fallen, and the five survivors in the
bank were all wounded.

When the Indians saw the company of
armed men under Snyder, they fled to the
hills. Flags of truce were displayed on both
sides and a peace was patched up till Governor
Douglas could come up from the coast. Not,
however, before there occurred an unfortunate
incident. At Long Bar, when an Indian chief
came with a flag of truce, two of the white men
snatched it from him and trampled it in the
mud. On the instant the Indians shot both
the white men where they stood.

Douglas had been up as far as Yale in June,
but was now back in Victoria, where couriers
brought him word of the open fight in August.
He promptiy organized a force of Royal