Summary
“Ten Indians” by Ernest Hemingway tells the story of Nick, who is returning home with the Garners and their two sons, Carl and Frank, after celebrating the Fourth of July. On their way, the Garners pass nine drunken Native Americans (“Indians”) on the road, including one man whom Joe Garner drags out of the way of their wagon to avoid running him over. When Frank Garner says that he thought his father was just killing a snake, Mrs. Garner expresses her dislike of Native Americans and their habits.
On their way home, Nick says he recently saw two skunks, and the Garner boys start to tease Nick because of his Native American girlfriend, Prudence Mitchell, whom they think must smell like a skunk because of her race. Despite the offence, Nick feels...