On Canada's Frontier: Sketches of History, Sport, and Adventure and of the Indians, Missionaries, Fur-traders, and Newer Settlers of Western CanadaRalph, Julian
History
On Canada's Frontier: Sketches of History, Sport, and Adventure and of the Indians, Missionaries, Fur-traders, and Newer Settlers of Western Canada
Ralph, Julian
Hudson's Bay Company -- History; Indians of North America -- Canada; Northwest, Canadian -- Description and travel
as the deference which was in the tones of the other white men in our
company, you would comprehend that we were made to feel at once honored
and subordinate. Altogether we made an odd picture: a circle of men
seated tailor fashion, and my own and Mr. Remington's black shoes
marring the gaudy ring of yellow moccasins in front of the savages, as
they sat in their colored blankets and fringed and befeathered gear,
each with the calf of one leg crossed before the shin of the other.
But L'Hereux's next act after introducing us was one that seemed to
indicate perfect indifference to the feelings of this august body. No
one but he, who had spent a quarter of a century with them in closest
intimacy, could have acted as he proceeded to do. He cast his eyes on
the ground, and saw the mounds of sugar, tobacco, and tea heaped before
only a certain few Indians. "Now who has done dose t'ing?" he inquired.
"Oh, dat vill nevaire do 'tall. You haf done dose t'ing, Mistaire Begg?
No? Who den? Chief? Nevaire mind. I make him all rount again, vaire
deeferent. You shall see somet'ing." With that, and yet without ceasing
to talk for an instant, now in Indian and now in his English, he began
to dump the tea back again into the chest, the sugar into the bag, and
the plug tobacco in a heap by itself. Not an Indian moved a
muscle--unless I was right in my suspicion that the corners of Three
Bulls' mouth curved upward slightly, as if he were about to smile. "Vot
kind of wa-a-y to do-o somet'ing is dat?" the interpreter continued, in
his sing-song tone. "You moos' haf one maje-dome [major-domo] if you
shall try satisfy dose Engine." He always called the Indians "dose
Engine." "Dat chief gif all dose present to his broders und cousins,
which are in his famille. Now you shall see me, vot I shall do." Taking
his hat, he began filling it, now with sugar and now with tea, and
emptying it before some six or seven chiefs. Finally, when a double
share was left, he gave both bag and chest to Three Bulls, to whom he
also gave all the tobacco. "Such tam-fool peezness," he went on, "I do
not see in all my life. I make visitation to de t'ree soljier chief
vhich shall make one grand darnce for dose gentlemen, und here is for
dose soljier chief not anyt'ing 'tall, vhile everyt'ing was going to one
lot of beggaire relation of T'ree Bull. Dat is what I call one tam-fool
way to do some'ting."
[Illustration: INDIAN BOYS RUNNING A FOOT-RACE]
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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