"I have watched the several tribes," said Harry, "as they first looked about them at the strange things, and it is curious how the different things impress them. I have noticed that the Osagas are particularly interested in machinery. The Saboros[p. 115] like anything connected with the soil, and they would make good agriculturists."
"Don't you remember when Uraso came to the Cataract he never took any stock in the guns, but Stut couldn't keep his hands off them?" responded Tom.
"The old chief Marmo thought the loom was the finest thing in the whole lot. He is over there now, and has been watching it for the last two hours."
For two days the chief wandered around, paying no attention to anything but the machinery, and the products turned out. The coins were a novelty, and a string was presented to him. He noticed the friendly attitude of all the warriors to his men, and marveled at the change.
He could not understand why the men would work for the coins, and then give them up for something else. The Professor tried to explain this, and it must be confessed that it was a hard thing to do. It seemed that nothing but a practical application would make it plain.
The Tuolo chief was a ready listener now, and was unusually quick to grasp a situation, although he could not learn the ethics of the white man. The Professor had him present at one of the trials for theft of a petty nature, which occurred a few days after his arrival.
He was surprised to find that any notice should be taken of such a trivial affair. The Professor, commenting on it at the trial, which he did particularly for the benefit of Marmo, said: "It is not the amount of the theft, but the act itself, which we[p. 116] must condemn. If you could have taken a larger amount you would have done so, and you must learn that the property you took did not belong to you but the some one else, and that is just as much a crime as though you took all the man possessed."
That was sufficient for his first lesson in justice. "But," he asked of the Professor, "can all men be guilty of doing wrong?"
"Can you do wrong?"
"Yes."