Delta chief., 1883-07-18
4 Haunted Lake.

From the Rocky Mountain Ness.
Grand lake. the scene Of the recent tragedy,
has number OF romantic associations con-
ncctei with it. wcavc,i with a number Of In.
dian legends. all of them more or less tragic
ia their character, and ali full of the super
stitions of the red man. To the Indian Grand
lake has a peculiar interest. for with il is
connected stories Of battles and carnage. he
role bravery, and fierce fight which swept
a whole band from of the face Of the earth
The principal tribes inhabiting this section
of the country were the uies, Arapahocs and
Cheyenues, aud between the former. who
w.r. the mountain Indians, aud the latter
tribes, who pitched their iepecs ON the plains.
Was wasci a perpetual warfare. The Ctcs, if
anything more cruel and INSCRIPTIONS than
their ncighbors OF the lowlands, always duelt
la mountain fastncsses. from which they
would swoop down from time TO time, carry
ing Oh the ponies and other valuables Of the
Chcycnncs and Arapahoes. provoking each
time short battles, in which they were gen.
orally victorious.
In the spring oi isi7 a considerable band
of utes were encamped ON the banks of the
lakes the exact spot whore the town of
Grand Lake now Stands. The SHOWS of the
uast winter had left the trails sufficiently bare
and the stock OF ponies and other luSnries
were getting very law, so u considerable por-
iion of the warriors were called together one
tine morning by their chief, and harangued
un .hc duty they owed to their tribe to inilict
punishment ON their hereditary enemies, and
get some ponies, aftcr which the line of
march was taken for the distant plains. AZ
ter several days of marching, the enemy was
surprised in a grove Of cottonwood on the
banks Of the Platte, a few miles below where
Denver now stands, which was the fasorite
camping and hunting grounds Of all the
plains Indians. Stealing stealthily upon the
foe, the attack was made in the gray of the
gray of the early dawn. Although aroused
from their slu,nbers thus unexpectedly, a Wig
ornus defense was made and the battle ragged
up,il the sun was high in the heavens, when
the attacking party, being rcpnlsed. retreat
3D. nor stopping until they had reached their
mountain home. on the lake. In their flight.
however, they carried off, beside several of
the coveted ponies, the fair Star of the
Night" the favorite daughter of the Arapa-
noe cnicftlln. Az Nohu hs tiif pr''i' i'So was
discovered all Of the young warriors, burning
for revenge, clamorcd for the warpath. But
little time was occupied in the funeral dance
over the half n dozen who had been slain in
the battle, when the pursuit was began with
vow from each that no halt should be made
until tho enemies were punished and the maid
rescued. silently. like an immense serpant
crawling through the dcflcs and canons, the
fint moonlight casting wierd shadows from
the cliffs above, now vending around some
rocky bluff, then stealing through some thick
ct of scrub oak, the united bands trod their
way, nor paused in their course, following
closely on the trail Of the dcspoilcrs. On
the third day, just as the dawn was breaking,
they came upon the camp Of the enemy, who,
tired with the fatigue of the long march and
battle, were sleeping soundly. Like II whirl.
wind of destruction was poured the arrows Of
the avengers into the bodies Of the sieepcrs,
a,,d many Of them never woke 10 conscious.
ness. A stubborn resistance, however, was
made by the Utcs. The latter as u measure
of safety placed all the squaws and pappooses
in the cnmp In the canoes belonging to the
tribe, and directed them to proceed TO the
center of the lake TO wait the issue Of the
apht. As the day wore on, however, the sky
became overcast, furious storm arose, and
one by one the frail barks were wrecked, un.