8 The Book of Woodcraft 



in whole or in part, at once or gradually; its picturesqueness 

 takes immediate hold of all ; and it lends itself so well to our 

 object that, soon or late, other forms of organization are 

 forced into its essentials. 



No large band of boys ever yet camped out for a month 

 without finding it necessary to recognize a leader, a senior 

 form (or ruhng set whose position rests on merit), some 

 •wise grown person to guide them in difficulties, and a place 

 to display the emblems of the camp; that is, they have 

 adopted the system of the Chief, Council, Medicine Man 

 and Totem-pole. 



Moreover, the Ideal Indian stands for the highest type 

 of primitive life. He was a master of woodcraft, and 

 unsordid, clean, manly, heroic, self-controlled, reverent, 

 truthful, and picturesque always. 



America owes much to the Redman. When the struggle 

 for freedom came on, it was between men of the same blood 

 and bone, equal in brains and in strength. The British 

 had the better equipment perhaps. The great advantage 

 of the American was that he was a trained scout, and this 

 training which gave him the \dctory he got from the 

 Redman. 



But the Redman can do a greater service now and 

 in the future. He can teach us the ways of outdoor 

 life, the nobility of courage, the joy of beauty, the 

 blessedness of enough, the glory of service, the power 

 of kindness, the super-excellence of peace of mind and 

 the scorn of death. For these were the things that the 

 Redman stood for; these were the sum of his faith. 



