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Letters on Literature
to that neighbourhood； and the first thing he asked was； 〃Where is Manito…
o…geezhik？〃
〃Dead； two months since。〃
〃It is well that he is dead；〃 said John Tanner。 But an old female chief；
Net…ko…kua； adopted him； and now it began to be fun。 For he was sent to
shoot game for the family。 Could anything be more delightful？ His
first shot was at pigeons； with a pistol。 The pistol knocked down Tanner；
but it also knocked down the pigeon。 He then caught martinsand
measles； which was less entertaining。 Even Indians have measles！ But
even hunting is not altogether fun； when you start with no breakfast and
have no chance of supper unless you kill game。
The other Red Indian books； especially the cheap ones； don't tell you
that very often the Indians are more than half…starved。 Then some one
builds a magic lodge； and prays to the Great Spirit。 Tanner often did this；
and he would then dream how the Great Spirit appeared to him as a
beautiful young man； and told him where he would find game； and
prophesied other events in his life。 It is curious to see a white man taking
to the Indian religion； and having exactly the same sort of visions as their
red converts described to the Jesuit fathers nearly two hundred years
before。
Tanner saw some Indian ghosts； too； when he grew up。 On the bank
of the Little Saskawjewun there was a capital camping…place where the
Indians never camped。 It was called Jebingneezh…o…shin…naut〃the place
of two Dead Men。〃 Two Indians of the same totem had killed each other
there。 Now； their totem was that which Tanner bore； the totem of his
adopted Indian mother。 The story was that if any man camped there； the
ghosts would come out of their graves； and that was just what happened。
Tanner made the experiment； he camped and fell asleep。 〃Very soon I
saw the two dead men come and sit down by my fire opposite me。 I got
up and sat opposite them by the fire； and in this position I awoke。〃
Perhaps he fell asleep again； for he now saw the two dead men； who sat
opposite to him； and laughed and poked fun and sticks at him。 He could
neither speak nor run away。 One of them showed him a horse on a hill； and
said； 〃There； my brother； is a horse I give you to ride on your journey
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home； and on your way you can call and leave the horse； and spend
another night with us。〃 So； next morning； he found the horse and rode it；
but he did not spend another night with the ghosts of his own totem。 He
had seen enough of them。
Though Tanner believed in his own dreams of the Great Spirit； he did
not believe in those of his Indian mother。 He thought she used to prowl
about in the daytime； find tracks of a bear or deer； watch where they went
to； and then say the beast's lair had been revealed to her in a dream。 But
Tanner's own visions were 〃honest Injun。〃 Once； in a hard winter； Tanner
played a trick on the old woman。 All the food they had was a quart of
frozen bears' grease； kept in a kettle with a skin fastened over it。 But
Tanner caught a rabbit alive and popped him under the skin。 So when the
old woman went for the bears' grease in the morning； and found it alive；
she was not a little alarmed。
But does not the notion of living on frozen pomatum rather take the
gilt off the delight of being an Indian？ The old woman was as brave and
resolute as a man； but in one day she sold a hundred and twenty beaver
skins and many buffalo robes for rum。 She always entertained all the
neighbouring Indians as long as the rum lasted； and Tanner had a narrow
escape of growing up a drunkard。 He became such a savage that when an
Indian girl carelessly allowed his wigwam to be burned； he stripped her of
her blanket and turned her out for the night in the snow。
So Tanner grew up in spite of hunger and drink。 Once； when starving；
and without bullets； he met a buck moose。 If he killed the moose he
would be saved； if he did not he would die。 So he took the screws out of
the lock of his rifle； loaded with them in place of bullets； tied the lock on
with string； fired； and killed the moose。
Tanner was worried into marrying a young squaw （at least he says he
did it because the girl wanted it）； and this led to all his sorrows… …this and a
quarrel with a medicine…man。 The medicine…man accused him of being a
wizard； and his wife got another Indian to shoot him。 Tanner was far from
surgeons； and he actually hacked out the bullet himself with an old razor。
Another wounded Indian once amputated his own arm。 The ancient
Spartans could not have been pluckier。 The Indians had other virtues as
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well as pluck。 They were honest and so hospitable； before they knew
white men's ways； that they would give poor strangers new mocassins and
new buffalo cloaks。
Will it bore you； my dear Dick； if I tell you of an old Indian's death？
It seems a pretty and touching story。 Old Pe…shau…ba was a friend of
Tanner。 One day he fell violently ill。 He sent for Tanner and said to
him： 〃I remember before I came to live in this world； I was with the
Great Spirit above。 I saw many good and desirable things； and among
others a beautiful woman。 And the Great Spirit said： 'Pe…shau…ba； do
you love the woman？' I told him I did。 Then he said； 'Go down and
spend a few winters on earth。 You cannot stay long； and you must
remember to be always kind and good to my children whom you see
below。' So I came down； but I have never forgotten what was said to me。
〃I have always stood in the smoke between the two bands when my
people fought with their enemies 。 。 。 I now hear the same voice that talked
to me before I came into the world。 It tells me I can remain here no
longer。〃 He then walked out； looked at the sun； the sky； the lake； and the
distant hills； then came in； lay down composedly in his place； and in a few
minutes ceased to breathe。
If we would hardly care to live like Indians； after all （and Tanner tired
of it and came back； an old man； to the States）； we might desire to die like
Pe…shau…ba； if； like him； we had been 〃good and kind to God's children
whom we meet below。〃 So here is a Christmas moral for you； out of a
Red Indian book； and I wish you a merry Christmas and a happy New
Year。
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APPENDIX I
Reynolds's Peter Bell。
When the article on John Hamilton Reynolds （〃A Friend