s from some white ladies up at the fort one summer, and my father
heard too. A white off'cer tole him if Indian wanted to know how to have
plenty to eat, plenty ev'rything like white peoples, they must learn to
do bus'ness white ways, be edg'cated. So he let Metalka go; _he_ could
n' go, he too old; but Metalka could go and learn to read all the books
and the papers and keep 'counts for him, so 't he'd know how to deal
with white men. When Metalka first took 'count for him, after she came
back, my father so pleased. He'd worked hard all winter hauling wood,
and killing elk and deer for the skins; and my mother 'n' I had made
bewt'ful moccasins and gloves out o' the skins, all worked with beads;
and so he'd earned good deal money, and he 'd kept 'count of it
all,--_his_ way, and 't was honest way; and kept 'count, too, what he'd
had out of agency store; and Metalka understood and reckoned it all up,
and said he 'd have good lot money left after he'd paid what he owed at
the store. But, Maje Molly, he didn't! he didn't! They tole him he owed
_all_ his money, and when he said they'd made mistake, and showed 'em
Metalka's 'counts, they laughed at him, and showed him big book of
_their_ 'counts, and tole him Metalka didn't know 'bout prices o'
things. Then he came home and said: 'What's the use going to white
people's schools to learn white people's ways, when white people can
come out to Indian country and tell lies 'bout prices o' things?' And
that's the way 't is ev'ry time, my father say; the way 't was before
Metalka went to school. The bad white trader comes out to Indian country
to cheat Indians. _He_ knows white prices, but he don't tell Indian
white prices; he tell Indian two, three time more price. That's what my
father say. And Metalka, when she see it all, she so disjointed, she
never get over it, and my father say it killed her, like arrow shot at
her."

"But your father doesn't think all white people bad; he doesn't dislike
all their ways?"

"No; it's only white traders he thinks bad, and the white big chiefs who
break promises 'bout lands. He like white ways that Metalka brought
back, and he built nice log house to live in instead of tepee, 'cause
Metalka wanted it; and he like all you here, Maje Molly, 'cause you good
to me. But, Maje Molly"--and here the little bright face clouded
over--"my mother say _all_ white peoples forget, and break promises to
Indians."

"No, no, they don't, Lula; they don't, you'l