IN THE LAND OF THE GREAT SPIRIT 127 



civilisation generally. But this must be necessarily 

 a very gradual and slow development, and although I 

 can only write of the Indians as I knew them a few 

 years ago, I suspect that the estimate I then formed 

 would on the whole hold good to-day. Among the 

 settlers a proverb obtains to this effect, " God never 

 created any better thing than a dead Indian." My 

 experience is quite opposed to this. The Indian 

 is not bad until he has been spoilt by the whites. I 

 am afraid there is no escaping from this fact, and the 

 story of native races all over the world confirms it. 

 Away out in the lonely forests, away from the towns, 

 away from the ranches, the Indian is not bad. He ■ 

 is grateful, he is not murderous, he is not a thief. 

 If feats of horse-stealing are tests of prowess with the 

 young braves of certain tribes — the Crows, the Bloods, 

 the Blackfeet, for example — does that prove any- 

 thing? Such feats of daring are points of honour, 

 and as such are fully recognised among those tribes. 

 Petty pilfering is not an Indian's fault. Individual 

 thieves are found in any society. But you may leave 

 your tent open and unguarded by an Indian camp and 

 not a thing will be touched, You may trust yourself j 

 alone with the Indians night after night and day after 

 day where no human hand could help you if attacked, • 



JrufdcLTt ' Jm*/0^^ 



