As the Indians, until
they have had much intercourse with the whites, very generally
believe the earth to be flat, it was not easy for them to comprehend
how a given point could be reached by directly opposite routes. Such
an apparent contradiction would be very likely to extort further
questions.
"My brother is a medicine-man of the pale-faces; his hairs are
gray," observed Crowsfeather. "Some of your medicine-men are good,
and some wicked. It is so with the medicine-men of the red-skins.
Good and bad are to be found in all nations. A medicine-man of your
people cheated my young men by promising to show them where fire-
water grows. He did not show them. He let them smell, but he did not
let them drink. That was a wicked medicine-man. His scalp would not
be safe did my young men see it again"--here the bee-hunter,
insensibly to himself, felt for his rifle, making sure that he had
it between his legs; the corporal being a little surprised at the
sudden start he gave. "His hair does not grow on his head closer
than the trees grow to the ground. Even a tree can be cut down. But
all medicine-men are not alike. My brother is a GOOD medicine-man.
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