Page:The Columbia river , or, Scenes and adventures during a residence of six years on the western side of the Rocky Mountains among various tribes of Indians hitherto unknown (Volume 1).djvu/338

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are idle, with our guns, as the white men have no fire-powder, or halls, to give us, and we have broken our arrows, and almost forgotten how to use them: the white men are very bad, and have deceived us.' But I spoke to them, and I said, You are fools; you have no patience. The white men's big canoes are a long time coming over the Stinking Lake[1] that divides their country from ours. They told me on going away that they would come back, and I know they would not tell lies." Then turning to his countrymen, he continued, "Did I not tell you that the white men would not tell lies? You are fools, great fools, and have no patience. Let us now show our joy at meeting our friends; and to-morrow let all our hunters go into the plains, and up the hills, and kill birds and deer for the good white men." They then commenced dancing, jumping, and crying out in a most discordant manner,

The good white men, the good white men,
  Our hearts are glad for the good white men,
The good white men, the good white men,
  Dance and sing for the good white men.

Then giving three cheers, something like the

  1. The sea. So called from its saline qualities.