The Spartans of the West 29 



pose of making him calm, fearless and efl&cient in every 

 possible stress or situation. 



Father Lafitau said of the Eastern Indians, in 1724: 



"They are high-minded and proud; possess a courage equal to 

 every trial; an intrepid valor; the most heroic constancy under 

 torments, and an equanimity which neither misfortune nor 

 reverses can shake." (Moeurs des Sauv. Amer.) 



"An Indian meets death, when it approaches him in his hut, 

 with the same resolution he has often faced him in the field. 

 His indifference relative to this important article, which is the 

 source of so many apprehensions to almost every other nation, 

 is truly admirable. When his fate is pronounced by the phy- 

 sician, and it remains no longer uncertain, he harangues those 

 about him with the greatest composure." (Carver's "Travels 

 Among the Sioux," 1766-9; p. 261.) 



"The greatest insult that can be offered to an Indian, is, to 

 doubt his courage." (J. D. Hunter, "Captivity"; 1798-1816; 



P- 30I-) 



" These savages are possessed with many heroic qualities, and 

 bear every species of misfortune with a degree of fortitude which 

 has not been outdone by any of the ancient heroes either of 

 Greece or of Rome." (Carver's "Travels Among the Sioux," 

 1766-9; pp. 221-2.) 



None of us are likely to question the Redman's prowess when 

 we remember for example that Black Hawk with 40 warriors 

 utterly routed 270 American riflemen in 1832, Chief Joseph in 1877 

 with inferior weapons beat the American soldiers over and over 

 again with half their number, and in 1 878 Dull Knife with 69 war- 

 riors fought and defied 2000 American troops for over four months. 



THRIFT AND PROVIDENCE 



Every Indian village in the old days had its granaries of 

 corn, its stores of dried beans, berries, and pumpkin-strips, 

 as well as its dried buffalo tongues, pemmican and deer's 

 meat. To this day all the Fisher Indians of the north and 

 west dry great quantities of fish, as well as berries, for the 

 famine months that are surely coming. 



Many of the modern Indians, armed with rifles, have 



