166 OUR HUMBLE HELPERS 



themselves look taller and to give themselves a more 

 terrifying aspect. " 



"In a book of travels," said Jules, "I saw pic- 

 tures of some North American Indians with a tuft 

 of hair like that on top of the head. The Gaels, then, 

 had the same custom?" 



" Yes, my child. Thousands of years apart, in the 

 forests of the Old World and those of the New, the 

 Gael and the Indian adopt the same head-dress, a 

 coil of hair over the forehead. When he dresses for 

 the combat, the Indian fastens to his top-knot of 

 hair divers ornaments, such as the wing of a hawk, 

 the claw of a leopard, the teeth of a bear. Thus 

 doubtless the Gael likewise adorned his person when 

 he made himself fine for the urus-hunt or for battle 

 with some neighboring tribe. 



"The Indian's top-knot is an audacious defiance, 

 a horrible bravado. When the enemy is thrown to 

 the ground, beaten down by a blow of the club, the 

 conqueror seizes him by his top-knot, cuts the skin 

 all round the head with the point of a sharp flint, 

 then with a jerk pulls off the bleeding scalp all in 

 one piece. ' ' 



4 'Oh, how horrible!" cried Jules. 



"This scalp is a trophy which he will dry in the 

 smoke of his hut and will wear hanging from his 

 waist as token of his exploit. His position in the 

 tribe, his weight in the council, are proportioned to 

 the number of scalps taken from the enemy. Now 

 you understand the fierce bravado of the Indian 

 with his top-knot of hair all gathered up and ready 



