A YANKEE'S OPINION OF HIS OWN SANCTITY.

Southland Times, Issue 1191, 4 January 1870, Page 3

A YANKEE'S OPINION OF HIS OWN SANCTITY.

Shortly afterwards I was riding through the encampments with an official of the Indian Department, one ofthose wander-ing-eyed Yankees who have been not inaptly described as "for ever looking about for something to patent and make 250,000 dollars by." Suddenly his eyes lightened on a splendid mule, and close by an Indian sitting at the base of a tree smoking. "Whose is that mule?" he asked. "Mine," was the rather sulky reply. " "Well, look you heare," said the official ; " you know very well that you stole that mule from the whites, and that by the treaty and stipulations which, you as one of the chiefs have signed you have agreed to give up all property stolen from the whites, under pain of losing your shara of the annuity next year. Now I wont be so hard on you as that. See, I will give you an order on the trader for 20 dollars for the mule and say nothing about it !" Ihe Indian's eyes absolutely flamed as the man spoke, but he saw that he was outwitted, and accordingly took the 20 dollars for a mule worth at least 250. I remarked to my friend that this was rather smart practice. " Wall, yes," was the rejoinder, as with an air of selfsatisfaction he cut a chew of tobacco, "it is rayther, colonel ; but one has to be smart. I don't know how it is in your part of the country, but in our'n * the longest pole knocks down the persimmons. ' And tell ye what, it takes a tol'ble long pole to make a livin' in the Indian Department. But I guess I ain't done so bad for the Injun. If that old cuss the superintendent had come along he would immediately, with a long lectur' on the sinfulness of his ways, hey taken tbat mule from the critter — confiscated it. Then with a face as long as a fence-rail, he would be marked down in the books, • Bought a mule for the use of the department, 250 dollars. Then, artera while, he would have sold it> and accounted for slhe loss by marking opposite the first transaction, ' Stolen by the ShoshoneSi in a raid on the Beservation, Aug. 14, '; which, you will perceive, makes a clear profit to the godly old sinner of 500 dollars cash. Oh ! I guess,' he continued laughing, ' I've done a pbilanthrophic turn. Guess I've got religion, and'll turn Church member when I get to hum. Why, a hull team o' parsons, and a meetin house to let, ain't a patch on this child!" — Cornhill Magazine*