they have not of late hunted on them.
They have only looked and gone away. And even if they did hunt, what
then? The land is wide. We cannot use it all. We cannot kill all the
birds and deer, and even if we could we cannot eat them all. Would it
not be wise to live at peace with the Eskimos? They have many great
teeth of the walrus and skins of the seal. Might not the white traders,
who take our furs and give us guns and powder, be willing to take these
things too? Thus we could buy from the one and sell to the other, and
fill our lodges with tobacco, and guns, and beads, and cloth, and powder
and ball, and other good things."

The Indian stopped at this point to ascertain the effect of his remarks,
but only a few faint "ho's!" greeted him. The councillors did not feel
quite sure of their own minds. His remarks about peace and war were not
palatable, and his suggestions about trade were a novelty. Evidently
Nazinred was born much in advance of his time.

"It is true," he continued, "that I had a struggle with a young Eskimo;
but he was very strong, and so was I. Before I could kill him he caught
hold of my gun, but he could not force it from me, and I could not force
it from him. As we strove we looked into each other's eyes and we each
saw peace and good-will there! So we ceased to fight. We kindled a
fire and sat down and fed together. As the light slowly increases while
the sun rises, so light came into my mind. The Dogribs have always
talked of the Eskimos as if they were fools. I found that this young
man was not a fool--that he was wise--wiser than some of our own braves.
His mind was deep and wide. He did not talk only of food and sleep and
hunting. He spoke of things past and present and future, and of the
Great Spirit, and the world to come. Also of peace and war; and we both
agreed that peace was good and war hateful. More than that, we found
that it was foolish. Then we parted. He went, I suppose, to his people
on the sea of ice, and I came home.

"He told me that none of his people were with him--that he was alone.
There is therefore no occasion for the young men to look fierce or go on
the war-path."

Having thus tried to throw oil on the troubled waters Nazinred came to
an abrupt pause.

Instantly one of the younger councillors, named Magadar, sprang to his
feet. He was unusually excitable for an Indian. Indeed, he differed a
good deal from his companions in other respects,