Did Not Know He Was Dead.
Several years ago smallpox raged along the coast and swept off many of the Indians as well as the whites. The city and government at Victoria appointed certain white grave-diggers to bury the numerous corpses found upon the beach, among the trees, in huts and in canoes.
In many cases the grave-diggers found poor creatures almost, but not altogether, dead; they knew they would be fit for burial soon, and did not care to spend time waiting for the last gasp. It is said they were taking one poor fellow off to the grave, but he objected on the very proper ground that he was not dead yet. He was told to shut up, as he was dead, but too delirious to comprehend the fact. So they carefully placed him under the sod to await the resurrection morn.