"Some Injins are fond of that sweet food: if my brother is one
of that sort, I can tell him how to fill his wigwam with honey with
little trouble."
At this suggestion, coming from such a source, Crowsfeather could
not do less than express his thanks, and his readiness to hear what
further might be in reserve for him. Peter then alluded to le
Bourdon's art, describing him as being the most skilful bee-hunter
of the West. So great was his art in that way, that no Indian had
ever yet seen his equal. It was Peter's intention to make him
exercise his craft soon, for the benefit of the chiefs and warriors
present, who might then return to their village, carrying with them
stores of honey to gladden the hearts of their squaws and pappooses.
This artifice succeeded; for the Indians are not expert in taking
this article of food, which so much abounds in the forests, both on
account of the difficulty they find in felling the trees, and on
account of the "angle-ing" part of the process, which much exceeds
their skill in mathematics. On the other hand, the last is just the
sort of skill a common white American would be likely to manifest,
his readiness and ingenuity in all such processes almost amounting
to an instinct.
Pages:
434
435
436
437
438
439
440
441
442
443
444
445
446
447
448
449
450
451
452
453
454
455
456
457
458