When the Indians were assembled in council on one occasion, a long letter from Washington arrived which was read by the clerk, and interpreted by John Lufkins, a Carlisle graduate. At the conclusion of a tedious interpretation requiring an hour, a prominent Indian, whom we called “Shorty,” but whose correct name was Ah-bow-we-ge-shig, arose and uttered a few words not requiring more than fifteen or twenty seconds in utterance. His reply to the long, well-worded, indefinite Washington letter is worthy of preservation. “That letter is like the food that we Indians have today, all soup and no meat.” When some of the preliminary trials were heard at White Earth, previous to action by the Department of Justice, the old Indian Bay-bah-dwun-gay-aush, eighty-two years of age, and who was possessed of remarkable memory, was on the witness stand. This Indian knew the family history of several hundred persons and was entirely familiar with all parts of the reservation. The lawyers, however, would ask him where was located a piece of land described as Township 4, Section 15, Range 142, and who owned it, instead of asking the Indian, “Who owns the land at the head of Otter Creek?” or “Who used to live at the head of Otter Creek?” The attorneys purposely asked the Indian in a way to confuse him, in order to substantiate their contention that Indian testimony was not reliable. Having stood this annoying and unfair grilling for a long time, old Bay-bah-dwun-gay-aush said something to the interpreter which caused the other Indians to laugh. His remark was, “Why does the lawyer ask me where the Indian land is? The white lawyers know better than I, because they now own most of the lands.” I believe that he added that they had stolen them, or words to that effect. Inspector Linnen, Mr. Allen and myself were criticised by those who sought, unsuccessfully, to discredit our work; for the reason that we looked on during a squaw dance. One reverend gentleman contended that we were encouraging “pagan ceremonies”. In fact, he reproached one of the Government officials rather severely. The Government official denied having taken part in a pagan dance, whereupon the reverend gentleman asked him, “Have you seen many pagan dances?” “I can truthfully say,” replied the official, “that I never observed but one dance which might truly be called pagan.” The reverend gentleman seemed shocked, but made bold to inquire: “On what reservation?” “It was on no reservation. The only real pagan dance I ever witnessed was the inaugural ball in Washington during Harrison’s administration.”