On the whole, he accepted the conditions of
the treaty, but, as his people were not present, he would
not sign it, although he did sign it in the following
year. Big Bear is a noisy, meddlesome savage, who is
never in his glory save when he is the centre of some
disturbance. He has always shown much delight in talking
about war; and he would go without his meals to listen
to a good story about fighting. He has the habit to, when
the reciter of the story has finished, of trying to
discount what he has heard, and to make his auditors
believe that some exploits of his own have been far more
thrilling. When everything is peaceable, even when there
are plenty of buffalo and peltry to be had, this savage
is not satisfied; but still goes around asking if there
is any news about trouble being about to take place
anywhere. If he is told:
"No, everything is quiet; the Indians are all satisfied,
because they are doing well." Big Bear will reply, while
knowingly closing one eye:
"Me know better than that. There will soon be bloody
work. Government break em treaty with Injuns. Lots of
Injuns now ready to go out and scalp servants of the
Government and white men." When, therefore, tidings
reached the land of the Stoney Indians that the half-breeds,
with Louis Riel at their head, had broken into revolt,
Big Bear pulled off his feathered cap and threw it several
times into the air. He went to his wives, a goodly number
of which he is in the habit of keeping, and informed them
that he would soon bring them home some scalps.
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