A person who has never used currency can learn how prices work.

A person who has never lived in a dense city can learn routes, habits, and social rules.

Ishi did exactly that.

His ability to adapt should not be used to romanticize his circumstances.

He had not chosen the destruction that made a museum residence one of his safest options.

But neither should he be reduced to a confused relic surrounded by machines.

His life in San Francisco included friendship and humor.

One of his closest companions became Saxton Pope, a physician at the University of California medical school.

Pope treated Ishi, spent time with him, and developed an intense interest in archery through their relationship.

The two practiced shooting together.