Uncle Nicholas was not a militant or a rabble-rouser. Instead, he was a peacemaker. Even before he was made a deputy, he resolved problems between the communities. He talked the talk and made the peace. He didn’t do it with his hat in his hand and his eyes on the ground asking for favors, and he didn’t do it with threats. If our folks were wrong he’d say so and stick to it. If the Anglo side was wrong he’d talk sense until their ears fell off or they agreed, just as he sometimes preached to us until we gave up and did what he wanted.
