Because they have gold, for
with gold the white man buys everything. The other kind of white
men are the poor, who have no gold and cannot buy or have
anything: they must work hard for the rich man for the little
food he gives them, and a rag to cover their nakedness; and if he
gives them shelter they have it; if not they must lie down in the
rain out of doors. In my own country, a hundred days from here,
I was the son of a great chief, who had much gold, and when he
died it was all mine, and I was rich. But I had an enemy, one
worse than Managa, for he was rich and had many people. And in a
war his people overcame mine, and he took my gold, and all I
possessed, making me poor. The Indian kills his enemy, but the
white man takes his gold, and that is worse than death. Then I
said: 'I have been a rich man and now I am poor, and must work
like a dog for some rich man, for the sake of the little food he
will throw me at the end of each day. No, I cannot do it! I
will go away and live with the Indians, so that those who have
seen me a rich man shall never see me working like a dog for a
master, and cry out and mock at me.
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