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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 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 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。
APPENDIX I
Reynolds's Peter Bell。
When the article on John Hamilton Reynolds （〃A Friend of Keats〃） was
written； I had not seen his 〃Peter Bell〃 （Taylor and Hessey； London；
1888）。 This 〃Lyrical Ballad〃 is described in a letter of Keats's
published by Mr。 Sidney Colvin in Macmillan's Magazine； August；
1888。 The point of Reynolds's joke was to produce a parody before
the original。 Reynolds was annoyed by what Hood called 〃The Betty
Foybles〃 of Wordsworth； and by the demeanour of a poet who was
serious； not only in season； but out of season。 Moreover；
Wordsworth had damned 〃a pretty piece of heathenism〃 by Keats； with
praise which was faint even from Wordsworth to a contemporary。 In
the circumstances； as Wordsworth was not yet a kind of solemn shade；
whom we see haunting the hills； and hear chanting the swan song of
the dying England； perhaps Reynolds's parody scarce needs excuse。
Mr。 Ainger calls it 〃insolent；〃 meaning that it has an unkind tone
of personal attack。 That is； unluckily； true； but to myself th