Alaska Indians 



streams or berry-fields to procure their winter stock 

 of food. At this crisis one of the Stickeen chiefs came 

 out of his block-house fort into an open space midway 

 between their fortified camps, and shouted that he 

 wished to speak to the leader of the Sitkas. 



When the Sitka chief appeared he said: 



"My people are hungry. They dare not go to the 

 salmon-streams or berry-fields for winter supplies, 

 and if this war goes on much longer most of my people 

 will die of hunger. We have fought long enough; let 

 us make peace. You brave Sitka warriors go home, 

 and we will go home, and we will all set out to dry 

 salmon and berries before it is too late." 



The Sitka chief replied : 



"You may well say let us stop fighting, when you 

 have had the best of it. You have killed ten more of 

 my tribe than we have killed of yours. Give us ten 

 Stickeen men to balance our blood-account; then, and 

 not till then, will we make peace and go home." 



"Very well," replied the Stickeen chief, "you know 

 my rank. You know that I am worth ten common 

 men and more. Take me and make peace." 



This noble offer was promptly accepted; the 

 Stickeen chief stepped forward and was shot down in 

 sight of the fighting bands. Peace was thus estab- 

 lished, and all made haste to their homes and ordinary 

 work. That chief literally gave himself a sacrifice 

 for his people. He died that they might live. There- 

 fore, when missionaries preached the doctrine of 

 atonement, explaining that when all mankind had 

 gone astray, had broken God's laws and deserved to 



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