His
success this time was not as unequivocal as on the former occasion,
but it was respectable. Several of the chiefs saw a reasonable, if
not a very logical analogy, between a man's name and his mind; and
to them it appeared a tolerably fair inference that a man should act
up to his name. If his name was tough, he ought to be tough, too. In
this it does not strike us that they argued very differently from
civilized beings, who are only too apt to do that which their better
judgments really condemn, because they think they are acting "in
character," as it is termed.
Ungque was both surprised and delighted with this unexpected support
from Bough of the Oak. He knew enough of human nature to understand
that a new-born ambition, that of talking against the great,
mysterious chief, Peter, was at the bottom of this unexpected
opposition; but with this he was pleased, rather than otherwise. An
opposition that is founded in reason, may always be reasoned down,
if reasons exist therefor; but an opposition that has its rise in
any of the passions, is usually somewhat stubborn. All this the
mean-looking chief, or the Weasel, understood perfectly, and
appreciated highly.
Pages:
553
554
555
556
557
558
559
560
561
562
563
564
565
566
567
568
569
570
571
572
573
574
575
576
577