supreme, piloting force of his life, his unfailing faith in the Great
Mystery.

The altar stairs to the spirit world are hills, buttressed by granite;
trees that talk with the winds--whispers from the spirit world; the
thunder of the waterfall--the voice of the Great Mystery; stars--the
footprints of warriors treading the highways of the Happy Hunting
Ground. In all of these he sees God.

Falling into communion with this happy philosophy of life, the glory of
Indian motherhood crosses our path--and there are few things more
beautiful. When the day of expectation dawns upon her, she seeks the
solitude of all the majesty in which from childhood she has seen the
footprints of God--revels, communes, rehearses to herself the heroism of
the greatest hero of her tribe, and all that the impress of it may be
felt upon the master man, the miracle of whose life has been entrusted
to her to work out.

For the first two full years of his life, a spiritual hand guides his
steps. There, in struggle and patience and self-denial, he must learn
all of nature's glad story.

His grandparents then take him into their school. He learns to ride
before he can walk; he is taught the use of the bow and arrow, which
means hitting the mark, keenness of vision, a steady aim, precision, so
that when the crisis comes he is ready--an ample reason for the brave,
effective and self-reliant conduct of the Indian soldier on the fields
of France in the World War.

Deep breathing in the open air, giving full lung power; self-denial,
giving strength of limb and endurance in the race; fellowship with all
of nature's winsome and wild moods; a discerning will power; a steadfast
reliance upon the guiding hand of the Great Spirit, empower the Indian
boy to stand on all the high hills of history and challenge any militant
force that may confront him.

The sphere is complete; Boy: Mother: God.

[Illustration: Signature, Joseph K Dixon]

Leader of the Rodman Wanamaker Historical
Expeditions to the North American Indian

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

Any writer who adds to the number of books on that ever fascinating
subject, the American Indian, must owe thanks to many authors who have
written about the Indians. My special thanks, for information concerning
the customs and legends of the Sioux, are given to:

Joseph Kossuth Dixon, author of _The Vanishing Race_,