The Pioche weekly record. [volume] (Pioche, Nev.) 1877-1900, 1880-12-25
: II.aIN ff|s1 . = = =
"sAvED-BY.THE.MOON." /"

---.---z to.ndsAssFs .euo Fissur.,
The Indians in this part of tho country
have great dread of Fish Lake, and will
not trust themselves in or near its waters.
The lake is highly esteemed as bathing
place by the whits settlers of the valley,
however. fsr the reason that the water is
at all seasons kept warm by the unfailing
bot sprinss that empty intoit. Indeed,
che lake itself seems to be one vast spring
of warm water, the flow of which is taken
1 up by irrigating, bitches and conveyed to
the fertile ranches of Fish Lake valley. +
In the peculiar dialect Of the Indians
OF this region, which is mixture of
Piute and Shoshone tongues, Fish Lake
is called Pah- Natchoche, which is said to
mean "the boiling water" This would
seem to imply that, the temperature Of
the lake w.s formerly much greater than
at present-it standing now at about
sixty degrees Fahrenheit. One peculiar
ity Of the lake is that it appears to be
bottomless. This gives the water deep,
blue marine look. BG gsM {5l9& tlJ.
The legends Of the Indians preserve
the fact that in the ages that have
passed, this lake was the favorite resort
of their ancestors, and remained 10 until
about fifteen years ago. When the first
white settlers visited tho lsks. its banks
were dotted here and there by the pic.
turssqus wiekiups of ths natives, and in
the evenings the waters wore almost
alive with the dusky ehildrsn At the val,
ley. who made the air musical with their
noisy Aquatic sports. -
1T u saifkSfens now sThs rsd man no
longer frequents the nsighbothood. The
lake and al its suroundinga have been
turned over to the palefaoe without a
protect. The csmpoodie has disappeared
from its banks, and its waters are no
more disturbed by aboriginal bath
ing parties. A~yrsst fear has fallen
upon this people because Of an accident
which brought grief totheir hearts fifteen
years ago.
At the end of the hunting season, in
1866, dusky brave, named Max -Tahkoet,
sought the lake to enjoy with his family
the peaceful rest which all his tribe were
accustomed to take at that time of the
year. The sun was about an hour high,
20 runs the story, when the little party
arrived at the lake. Nak-Tahkoeth's
younger squaw released from her back
the wicker basket, in which all that long
hot day she had carried her papoose, and
depositing it in . comfortable position
against sagebrush near the waters
edge, busted herself in preparing for her
lord his frugal meal of dried venison,
pine nuts and out-chu, the latter article
being species Of wild potatoe. While
thus engaged she was startled by an in.
fantile cry and turning, beheld her child
in the water.
The little wicker basket moved by q
passing breeze, had rolled down the bank
into the lake. .''s saa''i saFs 7ii-
With mothers instinct she sprang to
the rescue, but in the frantic grief Of
maternal feeling bscame powerless and
sank almost instantly beneath the tepid
waves. Nak.Tahkoteh plunged in to
assist her, but with the fatuity Of a
drowning person she clasped him around
the ssSk drawing him With her - she
went down for the third time. He was
unable to release himself from her death.
hold, and they both perished. GI
In the meantime the little wicke,
basket being Of light materials and almost
imperyiouse water, had Aoatsd to tn,
middle le sof sof the lake. safely carrying it
e human freight. The supsrstitious natiye
s,xsFs Al afraid to venture near the water
being convinced by the fearful catastro
phe bsfors than that the Great Spiri
wA angry with them for .soms sin tha
had been committed by them or thei
ancestors. aiH4 4lsty4 l
Night came on and watches were So
around the lake, all hoping to reclaim
the vail. bat none daring to enter tb,
water. FINALLY ths moon came up snt
ths little xiekar lhaikst xas di.covoret
where it had dfiftsd down amcne th,