The Democratic Press

His Response.

The tribe of Koriaks in Siberia have a settled conviction that all men are equal and refuse to show personal respect to any one, however exalted his rank. An amusing instance of this democratic feeling is narrated in connection with a Russian major who wished to get what he wanted from the natives by impressing them with a proper sense of his rank and power. For this purpose he called one of the oldest and most influential of them one day and proceeded to tell him, through an interpreter, how rich he was, what rank he held, what immense resources in the way of rewards and punishments he possessed, and how becoming it was that poor wandering heathen should treat him with reverence. The old Koriak, squatting on his heels, listened to this enumeration of the officer's attributes without moving a muscle of his face; but finally, when the interpreter had finished, he rose slowly, walked up to the major with imperturbable gravity, and with the most benignant and patronizing condescension, patted him softly on the head. The major turned red and broke out into a laugh; but he never tried again to overawe a Koriak.