It's a great concession to clean them as we do. The
Indians cooked them in the altogether and ate the meat from the
bones."
"Oh my tummy!" said Donald. "I always thought there was some
dark secret about the Indians."
Linda sat on a rock opposite him and clasped her hands around her
knees. She looked at him meditatively.
"Did you?" she asked. "Suppose you revise that opinion. Our
North American Indians in their original state were as fine as
any peoples that ever have been discovered the round of the
globe. My grandfather came into intimate contact with them in
the early days, and he said that their religion, embracing the
idea of a great spirit to whom they were responsible for their
deeds here, and a happy hunting ground to which they went as a
reward for decent living, was as fine as any religion that ever
has been practiced by people of any nation. Immorality was
unknown among them. Family ties were formed and they were
binding They loved their children and reared them carefully.
They were hardy and healthful. Until the introduction of whiskey
and what we are pleased to term civilized methods of living, very
few of them died save from war or old age. They were free; they
were happy. The moping, lazy, diseased creature that you find
sleeping in the sun around the reservations is a product of our
civilization. Nice commentary on civilization, isn't it?"
"For heaven's sake, Linda," said Donald, "don't start any big
brainstorming trains of thought today! Grant me repose.
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