Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1904-03-08
NUMBER 10.

killing long way off when there be
nothing to kill.
And |. Imber, ponder d upon these
things. watching the while the White
fish and the Pellys and all the tribes
of the land periShing as perished the
meat of the forest. Long | pondrrcd.
/ talked with the shamans and tn" cd
men who were wise went apart HAT
the sounds Of the village might mol dis
turb me. and ate no meat 80 that my
belly should not press upon me and
make me slow of eye and ear. ! sat
long and sleeplesS in the forest. wide
eyed for the sign, my ears patient and
keen for the word that was 10 come.
And wandered alone in the blackness
Of night to the river bank. where WAS
wind moaning and sobbin2 of water
and where | sought wisdom from the
ghosts of old shamans in the trees and
dead and gone.
And in the end. as in vision. came
10 me the short haired and dct"stable
dogs. and the way seemed plain BY
the wisdom of Otsbaok. my father and
strong man, had the blood of our own
wolf dogs been kept clean. wherefore
had they remained warm of hide and
strong in the harness. So | returned
10 my village and made Grafton 10 the
men. This be tribe. these white
men said. ii very large tribe and
- IN.
their land and they are come among
us 10 make a new land for themselves.
But they weaken lis ana we die. They
are very hungry folk. Already has
our meat gone from Us. and it were
well. if We would live. that We deal by
them as we have dealt 10y their dogs
And further Grafton | made. coun-
selling fight And the men OF the
Whitelish listened and some said one
thing and some another. and some
spoke OF other and worthless things.
and no man made brave talk OF deeds
OF war. But while the young men were
weak as water and afraid | watched
that the old men sat silent and than
In their eyes fire came and went. And
later. when the village slept and no
one knew. | drew the old men away
into the forest ana maGp mere talk.
And now we were agreed. and We re-
m"mhcred ll!c good young days, and
III, free lall. and the times of plenty.
und the gladn"SS and sunshine, ana we
called ourselves brothers and swore
great secrecy aud II mighty oath 10
cleanse the land Of the evil breed that
had come IpOn it. 1t j, plain we were
fools. but how were We 10 know. we
old mcn of the Whitriish:
And 10 hcartcn the others did the
trst deed. kept guard upon the lu-
Eon tilI the first canoe came down. In
it were two white men. and when |
stood upright upon Tie bank and
raised my hand they changed their
,ourSr ana drov" in To me. And AS
the man in the bow lifted his head so,
that he might know wherefore | want
ed him. my arrow sang through the
air straight 10 his throat. and he
know The second man. who held pad
il!c in the stern. had his rifle half 10
lis Shoulder when my spear smote
him.
These be the first. | said when the
Old mrn had gathered To me. Later
we viii bind together all the old men
OF all the tribes. and after that the
youB.. mcn who remain strong. and the
work will become easy
And then the two dead white men
we cast into tl" river And of the ca
nor. which was a very good canoe we
made u lr". and fire also Of the
things within the canoe But first we
looked at the things and they Wore
20 lJ..,S or icatl.rI. ...... 3" cat open
with our knives. Aai inside these
pouches were many papers. like that
from which thou hast read, . How
kan. with marking, on them which we
marycled AT and could not understand.
Now | AIN become wise. aud | know
them for the speech Of men a. thou
hast told me.
A whisper ana buzz went around the
court room when Howkan finished in
tcr1rcting the affair Of the canoe, and
one mans voice spoke up: That was
the lost 81 mail-Jeter James and De-
lancy bringing it in and last spoken ut
lie Barge 10y Matthews going out.
There he little more" lmber went
on slowly. 1T be there on the paper
the things we did. We were old men,
and we did not understand. Even l,
Imber. do not now understand. Sc
crctly we slew and continued 10 slay.
for with our years we were crafty, ana
we had learned the SwiftncSs or gong
without haste. When white men came
among us with black looks AMI rough
words and took away six Of the young
men. with irons binding them helpless.
we knew We must Slay wider ana far-
thcr. And one by onr "" old men de-
parted up river and down to the un-
known lands. II was :: brave thlns.
Old we were and unafraid. but tie
fear of far places j. Il terrible fear 10
men who are old
so we slew. without haste and craft
ily. ON the Chilcoot and in the delta
we slew. from the passes To IN" sea.
wherever the white men canprd or
broke their trails. 1t b. true they died,
but IL WAS without worth. Ever did
they come over the mountains. ever did
thry crow and grow. while We. being
old. became loss and less. ! remember.
by the Caribou eros sing. til" sHp oi
white man. He WAS Il worry li.t!" whlte
man. and three of the old men came
upon him In his sleep. And the next
day came upon the four Ci them.
The white man alone still bi"athcd,
and there WAS breath in him 10 curse
me once and well before he died.
And so ii went: now one cid h...n
and now another Sometimes The W;id
reached lis long after of how Roy dl'd,
and sometimes il did mol re:lch Ia. ii
the old men of the other tribes were
weak and afraid aud wodid not JON
with us. As | say. one by one, III
alone was left. | am lmDcr Of the
Whitetish people. My father was oIs'
back. "A strong man. There are 10
Whitetish now. OF the old men l am
the last. The young men and young
women are gone away. some 10 I've
with the Pcllys, some with the Salin'
ons and more with the white men.
am very old and very tired. and. II De-
ing vain fighting the law, as thou say