Читать книгу Shaman's Dream: The Modoc War - Lu Boone's Mattson - Страница 52

“See here, Ivan, you just put it to them plainly. Just tell them. They are to go do their own gathering and hunting. They are not to turn to us with their hands out. It isn’t good for them to expect to be given everything. The weather is good now, or it will be soon enough, and they can live off the land.”

“That’s not what the plan was,” Ivan said.

“I beg your pardon,” Knapp said, warning him to be careful, not forget his station.

“It wasn’t. We were to break them of those ways. Teach them other means to get what they need. The Superintendent said it himself.”

“That’s touching,” Knapp said. “You’d need Oliver to teach them that, wouldn’t you? Maybe even Lucien. Certainly Applegates would be required, wouldn’t they? That amounts to quite a little bit. But you know, as I go over the books, I find that there are insufficient funds. That complicates matters for us, doesn’t it. Things being as they are, you’d do better to just let them know that they can’t come sniveling around here for a hand out.”

“But it’s what the government promised.”

“That will do, Ivan. It’s not what we are going to give.”