Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1875-05-06
~ H3afols DRAGON.


the FrenchJesuit priests who travelled
through this Western region in the
eary day-a tradition that made a
profound impression upon my mind
not SO much because of its credibi!ity,
As that the Illinois Indians placed
great stress upon it. The legend, rs
| now recall it, ran something Ike
this:
Down on the banks Of the Illinois
river, not tar from the point where
that stream unites its waters with those
of the Mississippi, there is steep
rocky cliff, of considerable height,
and about midway between the base
of this perpendicular precipice and its
TOP there Is Il hole, which, as is alleged,
is the entrance to a cave, which,
owing to it's inaccessibility, has never
been explored by any human bein :,
nor can it be without the aid of a bal
loon. / canndt vOuch for the fact ct
The existence Of such a cave ahete, but
ruch was evidently the earnest belief
of tive Indians who were here in the
early day Of our Western history, as
was well known to the first explorers
Of the Mississippi Valley.
Well, according to tins tradition OF
the abnriglne>, hundreds and perhaps
thousands of years ago, this rocky
cave on the~iver's bank was inhaAited
by peculiar monster-a winged ser.
gent of huge dimensions. 1t was the
habit of tins dragon, which in appear
ance somewhat resembled the satan
of our boyi>h superstition. to sally
forth daily, in pursd.t Of the tavoriie
food-lndan. Emerging from his
cave, he would fly out upon the plains,
and, watching his opportunity. would
suddenly swoop down upon the first
Indian whom he discovered, seize HIM
in histalons. carry him of to his rocky
cave, and make Il feast OF him lie
captured aud dcvnured one Indian
every day, and became q great terror
~ all the ludian community. He was
.heir, enemy, was decinating their
MURDERS, and they knew not ~ what
snonelrt amy OF them might fall into
ls lnr:isiabl. clutches.
Tins thing, after many years OF
dread and anxiety. was becoming in
solerabie. Something must be done t.
conquer or destroyed this winged devil,
shey said, lest in time he would eXter-
inmate their entire tribe. Finally, at
meeting of the tribe, ten of the
young braves volunteered to risk their
lives in determined effort to destroy
the dragon. These ten organized
themselves into band. and each Of
them, armed with bow and a culver
filed with poisoned arrows. proceeded
in the nighttime to the vicinity Of the
cave, on the opposite side of the river.
They watched the aperture in the
rocky prccipice, and in pursuance OF "A
prearranged plan, when the winged
monster made his appearance at day
dawn, one of their number exposed
himself on the open prairie, while the
other nine secreted themselves near
by The monster tapped his wings,
flew out into the wide expanse of low
river bottom, and, discovering a live
Indian all alone, at first eyed him
eagerly and hungliiy; then, conclud
ing that he bad his game handy,
swooped down to clutch his victim,
when instantly all the braves opened
IRE upon him with their poisoned ar
rows striking him all over his ugly
body. He failed to reach his expected
prey, and, wounded and foiled, labor.
Gus! tapped himself back to the
MYERS bank, and re-entcred his hole
IN the rocky steep. And ths-so ran
the Iegend-was the last that was
EVER seen Of the great dragon. lie