240 THE DRAMA OF THE FORESTS 



billions of human beings for millions of years have been strug- 

 gling violently to gain; and now after all that eternal striving 

 since the beginning of time — what has been the great out- 

 standing gain — as the Indian sees it? "Baldness and starched 

 underwear for men, high-heeled shoes and corsets for women, 

 and for both — spectacles and false teeth." Is it any wonder 

 the red man laughs? 



But some of you will doubt that the Indian laughs, and more 

 of you will even doubt whether the red man possesses a sense of 

 humour. A few days ago my Toronto oculist — you see I have 

 been justly rewarded for hovering around civilization — and 

 I were discussing Indians. The doctor quoted his experience 

 with them. Some years before he had taken a trip into the 

 forest where he had met an old Indian chief whose wife had had 

 her eye injured by accident. The doctor told the old man if 

 ever he contemplated taking his wife to Toronto, to let the 

 doctor know of their coming, and he would see what he could do 

 to repair the injury. A year or so later a letter arrived from the 

 very same Indian reservation. Though it was hard to read, 

 the doctor made out that the Indian intended to bring his wife 

 to Toronto so that the oculist could fulfil his promise; but as 

 luck would have it, the doctor had not only forgotten the 

 Indian's name, but he had great difficulty in reading the 

 signature. After much study, however, he decided that the 

 old Indian had signed his name as "Chief Squirrel" so thus the 

 doctor addressed his reply. A couple of weeks later the post- 

 man arrived with a letter he was rather loath to leave at the 

 doctor's house. The oculist, however, on seeing that it was 

 addressed to his own number on Bloor Street West, and that 

 the name was preceded by the title of Doctor, believed that it 

 was intended for him. On opening it he found it was from the 

 old Indian whom he had addressed as " Chief Squirrel. " Now, 

 however, he realized he had made a mistake in giving the red 

 man such a name, for another glance at the outside of the 



