278 MEN 1 HAVE FISHED WITH. 



He looked at the bread and then said : "I don't like to 

 be impolite to him. Why can't you tell him that it's all 

 a mistake; what's the word for mistake in his patter?" 



"Oh, just say to him: 'Nidgee, pungee iskoodah 

 wabo,' and it will be all right." This was an invitation 

 to old Mouthful to have some whiskey, an article which 

 we did not have, but this was my joke on Gibbs. 



The red man had not paid much attention to our talk, 

 which he could not understand, but my last words must 

 have had a familiar sound, for he turned his head and 

 looked at me. 



Gibbs arose and repeated the words in his purest 

 Chippewa. Old Mouthful also arose, as befitted such an 

 important occasion, grunted, shook hands and replied in 

 fairly good Ojibway that he "didn't care if he did." 



"What's that he says?" asked Gibbs. 



"He says that he begs your pardon, and hopes that he 

 has not offended; and he begs that you will take the 

 bread, and give him such a portion as will not rob your- 

 self." The situation was growing interesting. As the 

 interpreter I had the game in my hands. 



Gibbs struck an attitude and exclaimed : "Now, by my 

 halidome! Our guest is a gentleman of right courtly 

 manners. I tell you, Fred, you don't know these people 

 if you have been around a few of them long enough to 

 pick up some of their talk. I've read up on 'em, Scool- 

 craft, Cooper and these authors; have studied 'em, and the 

 noble red man has all the high-bred instincts of the most 

 chivalrous knight, but these men who come among them 

 to trade are not sufficiently educated to see and appre- 

 ciate it." He then took up the bread, broke off a third 

 of it and gave it to our guest. 



Old Mouthful looked surprised. Evidently he didn't 

 mind the bread as long as there was whiskey in prospect. 



