Monmouth weekly herald. [volume] (Freehold, N.J.) 1854-1860, 1855-12-26

ting round the fire; the old men were tell
ing tales of their youthful days, and the
young men were listening with respectful
attention.
The old men spoke of the white bear
of his great sagacity and cunning, of his
prodigious strength. and of his knowledge
of the past and the future. Ojibways be-
lieve that the white bear, as well as many
other animals, is not only intimately &C.
quainted with passing events, but also
possess a knowledge of the past, and a
prophetical insight into the future.
Ishpau be-kau came into the lodge, and
although yet very young man, his great
reputation as brave and hunter, emit
tied him to enter into conversation with
the old men; while it was the duty of the
other young men of the same age to hear
the words Of the young. and be silent.
Ish-pau-bekau sneercd at the tales
which the old men told of the white bear
He had met single -handed, all the wild
beasts that roamed over the plains and
through the groves of his country, and
had invariably come off the conqueror
but the white bear he had vet never seen:
fear was stranger to his heart, and con.
slant success had made him vain; there
fore, he laughed at the Old mems stories
and said that he hoped he might some day
meet white bear, alone, on the prairie;
and though he might have no weapon
with him but his knife, yet he would bring
home the hide Of the bear to place upon
his bed, and his flesh to make great
feast for the tribe. Then an old grey.
haired chief, whose name was O-zah- wush
Northumberland, Or the Blue Cloud, .
spoke thus to Ish-pau be-kau:
My son, be careful what words you
speak. the spirits of the rocks and trees
who know all that We do, and hear all
that we say, will carry your words to the
white bear; the white bear cannot he in.
suited with impunity; and you may pay
the penalty of your idle words with your
life. Take my advice, my son, tomorrow
morning, when you rise, blacken your face
with charcoal, eat nothing until the sun
disappear in the west, and sing to the
spirits Of the rocks and the trees, that
they may forget your words, and so shall
the white bear not hear them--do this, my
son, or evil may happen to you"
But Ish-pau- be-kau would not blacker
his face nor fast; neither would he retract
his words, but insisted that he was able
to cope, single-handed, armed with nc
weapon but his trusty knife, with the lar
gest white bear that ever roamcd in theil
hunting grounds.
Many days passed by, and the chiefs dc
i far,,N ,an1 to ax- i
before starting off for the annual hunt.
All the young men were busy making
ornaments to decorate tkeir persons fol
the great medicine-dance.
Ish-pau-be-kau said, II will go an6
catch a gray eagle, and make myself 6
head-dress with his feathers"
Ish-pau-be first directed his steps
towards a tamarack swamp, where thou
sands of white RABBITS might be seen frisk
ing about at all hours Of the day. Peel
ing some strips of linden bark, he soor
manufactured snare, and setting it in his
own ingenious manner he captured large
RABBIT alive in very short time. Tying
the RABBIT to his belt, he left the swamp
and turned his steps across the wide prai
RE, toward high rock where the eagles
| built their nests.
! This was the same rock from which he
derived his name, in consequence of its
being the scene Of some distinguished ex
plot of his youth.
And now he began his preparation for
catching the gray eagle. With his knife
he commenced digging up the soft sand
of the prairie, and throwing it out with
his hands; he worked until he had com
pleted a trench about eighteen inches in
depth, and Of length and breadth suffi
Gent to allow him to lie down IN it at full
length. He now collected quantity Of
grass, and then lying down on his back in
the trench he had dug, he proceeded te
cover himself completely with the grass
IN this he succeeded so we'll, that at The
distance of few PAGES, DO person coulc
nave 6een aware Of his presence. He now
united the RABBIT from his belt, and tirml,
gfaSping one Of its hind Jnas viii M iofy