One day an Indian came back from a trip to his traps, and noticed,
when he reached his wigwam, that a deer that had hung inside had been
stolen. He at once set to work to find the thief.
Following the trail left by the evil-doer, the Indian soon met a
party of white men. He asked if they had seen a little old man, lame
and white, who had a short gun. The Indian added that the man he was
seeking was followed by a small bobtailed dog, and that he carried a
deer. Such a man, he said, had stolen the deer from his wigwam.
“Why did you not seize the thief when you saw him?” said they.
“I did not see him,” answered the Indian.
“How, then, do you know that he is little, and old, and lame, and
white, and has a short gun, and is followed by a little bobtailed dog?”
asked they.
“I know that he is short,” replied the Indian, “because he piled up
stones to stand on when he took down the meat. He must be old, because
his steps are short, as is shown by his tracks. His gun, I know, is
short, for I found the place where he had leaned it against a sapling
while he was taking down the deer, and the muzzle left a scratch on
the bark near the ground. The dog, sitting down in the sand, left the
print of a stumpy tail. I knew the man was white by the tracks of
his boots, for Indians wear moccasins, and do not turn out their toes
when walking; and I knew that he was lame, because the steps of the
left foot were shorter than those of the right, as was shown by the
footprints.”
And the Indian passed on in pursuit of the one who had robbed
him.--SELECTED.