It is against Masai tradition to kill prisoners of war.[69] Among the Kabyles "il faut que l'exaspération des partis soit extrême pour qu'un blessé ou un prisonnier soit mis à mort."[70] The Touareg do not kill their prisoners after a fight.[71] Among the Bedouins of the Euphrates "the person of the enemy is sacred when disarmed or dismounted; and prisoners are neither enslaved nor held to other ransom than their mares."[72] "Captives," says Mr. Dorsey, "were not slain by the Omahas and Ponkas. When peace was declared the captives were sent home, if they wished to go. If not they could remain where they were, and were treated as if they were members of the tribe."[73] Among the Wyandots prisoners of war were frequently adopted into the tribe. "The warrior taking the prisoner has the first right to adopt him. If no one claims the prisoner for this purpose, he is caused to run the gauntlet as a test of his courage. If at his trial he behaves manfully claimants are not wanting, but if he behaves disgracefully he is put to death."[74] [Footnote 69: Hinde, _op. cit._ p. 64.] [Footnote 70: Hanoteau and Letourneux, _op. cit._ 75.] [Footnote 71: Hourst, _op. cit._ p. 207.] [Footnote 72: Blunt, _op. cit._ ii. 239.] [Footnote 73: Dorsey, 'Omaha Sociology,' in _Ann. Rep. Bur. Ethn._ iii. 332.] [Footnote 74: Powell, _ibid._ i. 68.] Thus we notice even among uncivilised races very obvious traces of what is called "international law,"[75] if not as a rule, at least as an exception. On the other hand, the {337} readiness with which war is engaged in, not only in self-defence or out of revenge, but for the sake of gain, indicates how little regard is paid to human life outside the tribe. The Kandhs, for instance, maintain "that a state of war may be lawfully presumed against all tribes and nations with whom no express agreement to the contrary exists."[76] And if a few savage peoples live in perpetual peace, it seems that the chief reason for this is not a higher standard of morality, but the absence of all inducements to war. [Footnote 75: See also Wheeler, _The Tribe, and Intertribal Relations in Australia_, _passim_.] [Footnote 76: Hunter, _Annals of Rural Bengal_, iii. 75.]