114 THE BARREN-GROUND CARIBOU 



unspoiled Indians of the Far North) test a white 

 man in their own peculiar way before they accept 

 or reject his friendship as good or bad, though 

 they do it so delicately that you may be unaware 

 of their intentions. Observant at all times, they 

 are extraordinarily keen-sighted in reading any 

 mute sign of any phase of nature ; and quickly 

 read character in the face, and in actions. I had 

 come among those reticent Indians a stranger, 

 but ultimately I found that mine was a case that 

 had extreme advantages. Primarily I knew 

 something of Wild Life after their own manner, 

 and could talk to them in their own way ; which 

 was generally to illustrate a sentiment or a des- 

 cription through the medium of an object, or a 

 living animal, bird, plant, or element with which 

 they were very familiar. Indians are intensely 

 reflective, and they have strange names for wise 

 members of their tribes which go to show this. 

 I give a translation of two of the best I have 

 heard. " The silent snows are falling, forming 

 signs." . . . " He listens to the unseen Rapids." 

 Secondarily, I was not trapping fur, not, therefore, 

 encroaching on the rights to territory which were 

 the red man's by heritage. The research work I 

 did was full of interest to them. For hours I have 

 had Indians squat and watch me skin birds— a 

 proceeding they had never witnessed before — 

 or skin an animal for remounting : which meant 

 cutting the skin so differently from that of a fur 

 pelt, and the preservation of the limb-bones and 

 skull. Finally, but not the least noteworthy, if 

 you have a mind to humour Indians, on rare 

 occasions I played a few 'pipe-marches on a 



