The Benton weekly record. [volume] (Benton, Mont.) 1880-1885, 1880-09-24

~ N3 ~ Liit 41otnl !0e GrEa= WE
Il dance HIS,nn1 t1se body ul I'iegan BRAY,
y "ho:1'aTe been killed ~ drunken ,,51E
ralle
a. Early iii the sEoGiug ii 1xy>3 he f,nn,set
i''1fiafl7 moved 10 The plains Of lie So
IS katche"an. Ttley kept ln i1lfnos; 1co..tjnea
G Motion. The story If the i,slln,t.;t cIan
u spread throughout the empire Of the Blaek-
Il ieet' The neGnhrrs Of il were ,tnaho9a
: some visitors al the lodges Of The B!ota1
ana hiackfeet clans. The ntai, tribe grad
!, uaIlyaeell away from them Tnev wer,. r.
: garded as acctsrsed. They were alone.
. only the American free traders visited
them. Driven to ana fro over t1e vaat44
u the north III search Of meat as he but-
falo moved, and, as their despair urged
| them ON, they descended the st. Mary'S
1slVer 10 point some eight or ten miles
bolo" the Chief Mountain Thar ;soIs,ad
peak tsat stands highest above the north
efn plains. One afternoon in the latter
! part OF june the storm clouds that were
osl1tlng uncertainty along the hanks,
/ OF sa1rling around the snow-clad peaks OF
ene main range, gradually gathered about
the crest Of the Chief Mountain IN dense
black mass. The strong wind that was
/ hercely blowing, Or the electrical condition
OF the clouds, kept this ulass in constant
notion. Great cayerns were INSTANTLY
blown into 1t looking like immense inyerl~
ed caldlons where the clouds were flercelv
boiling. huge, Jagged columns shot higl,
Ill the air above the black mass, to sink
suddenly az though they were erkesl
down. 4he color Of the cloud was ever
changing from intense black to the vari-
Gus shades OF pink. lightning few il, aIl
directions. Bars Of Intense light shot half
way across the clold mass. then burst to
ny Ill short bars, anl the rim Of a tiy wheel
III futl motion, bursting, flies in Short sep-
ments through the air, For over an l,ouy
TINS cloud Whirled and discharged its sur.
Plus electricity around the storm-wor,.
crest Of Chief Mountain, than ~ thouo,,
1t were tired OF wasting ita strength on the
soAd rock. it advanced bodily ever the ,,,,-
lands. Clearing tlae skirts OF the nol,n-
tam the black mass hung an instant ox@,
the dry, tllsty plains. The rotary ,notjon
was noW confined ITO 1.-The lower portion of
Che cloua. Soon a great black arm reach
ed down toward the earth. AS if by magic
the eartt~Ioud formed and rapidly revoly-
cd III obedience to the movements n,,de hr
the mighty arm OF death that nature sway.
II 49,
eel ABOVE It. a long, dark arm shat un
from the earth-cloud. The arlns Joined
instantly the dread Of the arid plains Of
[He west Was formed, aud in it's aVya-ffz
splrIng proportions : dry waterspoat nov
2 s1asE oyes. tlls s5lEili slit ale
aees u itts path were torn out Of the grountl
md east far from the +ides II Ehe reyoIF-
ng column. The trees standing near its
patch shed their bark, popping it off III
Ill directions. It was rs if the trees were
Intelligent plallts, and the acE were one tit
'pircd BY terror. Crossing the st. suary's
River, the water spout left its rocky betI
Try behind it, lho Riackfeet scouts on
plains hurried to the top Of tho valley
bluffs. They We're unnerved by seeing six
men sno women riding in line "a
hundred yards III frontof the spout. The
scouts at once recognized the six by the
;alico horses they rode, as did tho party
in the Cypress Hills. The spec
res wheeled their horses and rode head
ong into the black column that was NOV.
ng slowly down the valley. Tn she viii
age the Indians flocked into the streets.
Standing in ntfrighted groups they watch
I'd the approach Of the spout. When the
black column Of death was half mile
rom town, six figures on horseback shot
orth from it. Turning their horses, they
;ircled around the advancing spout from
eft to right. SwaFing far down to earth
he spcctres would then rise in their STIR
ups high above their saddles, and iercely
'randish their whips ut the doomed VIII
age. Then, savagely beating their spec
re horses with the phantom whips, they
ode faster and faster. On the back Of ono
# the riders smiling, cradled baby toss
Il up and down. AS the waterspout drew
learer and nearer to the village the Indi-
ms heard the mir grinding together pro-
lucing q noise resembling q steady low
# thunder. The six speotrea rode into
he village street. Forming into line they
Wheeled, savagely urging their.:heEses to
he top Of their speed, they dashed into
he devouring mouth 0f the Waterspout as
he dark lips were put forth to deliver the
Ieath-tealiny caress. Indians, horses,
logs, lodges-tqerything in its path was
lrawn up aud yiciously flung far out from
he surface of the column. Indiuils dead
II dying, dead horses and dogs were shot
ut, to fall with u heavy, sicltening thud
N the hard ground. The rain and hail
ell in sheets. The voices OF the Indians
vho were standing outside the line Of
march OF the devouring colNmns were
aised in appeals for. mercy, Men who
would have stood sta,mchly 1T the stake
nd sung q death song IS their enemies
oasted them, covered on the ground in
ervous terror before this force of nature,
III that had been touched By the revoly-
lg arm Of death were lying dead in its
rail. The spout travelled east and cxpend-
d its force on the great plains. 4 wide
wath had been cut through the village,
nd down this corpee-streWn path the eix
pectres rode at full gallop, as though they
ad returned to gloat over the ruin and
isolation that had been wrought. Their
estures of joy were deyilish in their in
,nseness.
"a long period Of. Ycpose followed this
a1anity. The curse seemed TO be lifted
ON the fegans. 'rhey were Soon in
lose communication with tile other clans