"These people are no enemies. See, they are not afraid of us. They are protected by the Great Spirit."
"A WOMAN CAN'T HOLD HER TONGUE."
Saratoga Lake, in New York, is such a calm and beautiful sheet of water that Indians had a legend that it was the special resort of Manitou, or the Great Spirit, and they professed to believe that all who shouted or made a noise while crossing would offend the Great Spirit, and he, in punishment for the indignity, would cause the offender to sink to the bottom like a stone.
Now, it happened that an Indian boatman was conveying a lady across the lake, who, knowing the Indian's superstition and the reason for it, determined to teach him a lesson and disprove the legend. Accordingly, when half way across, she shouted aloud several times. But the Indian boatman, Charon-like, pulled grimly and silently at the oars, until the keel touched the further shore.
"There!" exclaimed the lady, "did I not tell you the Great Spirit had no more to do with this lake than any other. You see I did not sink to the bottom when I shouted." Fixing his eyes sternly on the offender, the Indian replied: "The Great Spirit is very patient and all wise. He knows white squaws can't keep their mouths shut."
ENORMOUS AMOUNT OF MONEY SPENT ON INDIANS.
In the Indian census report an interesting attempt is made for the first time to cast up in figures an aggregate of the Government expenditures on account of the red men residing within the United States since the Union was established in 1789. The result of this attempt indicates in the statistics presented that the gigantic sum of $1,105,219,372 was spent by the Government up to the year 1890 either upon the Indians directly or indirectly because of Indians. Counting in, however, the civil and military expenses for Indians since then, together with incidental expenses not recognized in the official figures given, it is safe to say that up to June 30, 1895, a further sum of $144,780,628 may be added to the aggregate figures, making a grand aggregate of $1,250,000,000 chargeable to Indians to date.
The Indian wars under the Government of the United States are stated to have numbered more than forty and to have cost the lives of about nineteen thousand white men, women and children, including about five thousand killed in individual encounters of which history takes no note and of thirty thousand Indians, including eighty-five hundred killed in personal encounters.
THE SURPRISED INDIANS.
On one occasion a company of soldiers was attacked by Indians while ascending a steep mountain pass. It happened that the soldiers had several small cannon packed on the backs of burros. Wishing to frighten the Indians, who were in close pursuit, and not having time to unpack the cannon, it was decided to load and fire them from the backs of the sturdy little beasts of burden. This was accordingly done. But one of the gunners in his haste and excitement put in an extra large charge of powder. When, therefore, the burro was backed to the edge of the precipice, and the cannon aimed downward at the Indians and touched off, the concussion was so great as to hurl both cannon and burro over the precipice and down the mountain side, pell mell, loosening stones as they tumbled right in the midst of the astonished Indians, some of whom were knocked over and in turn hurled on down the mountain side. The war-whoop was changed to a yell of terror as the surviving Indians fled down the mountain pass. The next day one of this band of Indians was captured, and on being asked, through the interpreter, what caused the Indians to retreat so fast at the commencement of the fight, he answered "Injuns no fraid of guns, pistols, swords or cannons, but when white soldier shoot whole donkey at Injun, Injun run 'cause he cannot fly."