The racism of "The Noble Redman" is certainly clear. But for a brief look at the other side of the coin, see the selection from "Methuselah's Diary" in _The Bible according to Mark Twain_, pp.101-2 and note to p. 102.5 p. 349. In the passage itself Methuselah describes a visit from from the "famous tribe of the Jabelites" who " live not in houses, but in tents" and then goes on to describe various mistreatments of the tribe that led to uprisings, etc. This was written in the 1870's and reflect a real interest in Indian affairs at that time. So, though there's no question about MT's racism, there was also recognition of the serious mistreatment of Native Americans. Howard Baetzhold