Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1884-12-04
ALL FOR LOVE.
How An Indian Won His Bride by Swim.
ming Across the Missouri With His Left
Hand Tied Behind Him.

How An Indian Won His Bride by Swim.
ming Across the Missouri With His Left
Hand Tied Behind Him.
An Indian named Tsi-ung-che-ung.
one of the nomadics who have been
roaming about the city and vicinity for
some time, performed truly wonder
full feat yesterday in the presence of
few admirers of his tribe who gathered
to witness his exhibition of daring and
strong. square-built, good-looking In
dian, and his feat was to swim the
Missouri with his left hand tied behind
him, his reward for this being the hand
and heart in marriage of bewitching
i(?) daughter of one of his fellow
scalpers. The wonder of the feat was
not only in swimming the treacherous
stream with one arm fastened behind
him him, but in going in water al
most as cold as ice, with his buckskin
trousers on to catch the sand and
threaten to pull him to the bottom.
At ten o clock yesterday morning the
daring fellow was in readiness, and
his admirers, together with the girl
of his choice, were on the bank, Just
above the bridge, to see him start. 1t
was thrilling and pathetic scene.
The young gallant gazed up and down
the treacherous stream, while the
girl ki-yied and sang in weird,
mournful manner-a seemingly plain
tive love chant. It was novel and
certainly interesting scene. Every
thing was in readiness. The young
Indian, with graceful wave of the
right hand, and amid the encouraging
shouts of the other reds, shook the
hand of the fair prize for which he was
risking his life, chopped off a little
aboriginal music, in a sort of a good
by hello-ifI-don 't-see-you-again air and
plunged into the river. A yell then went
up from the crowd of spectators which
caused the capillary integument of
the reportorial Uranium to start
zenithward at the rate of a mile
minute. The swimmer bold dove from
the bank, and was lost to view for
number of seconds, when he came to
the surface several yards above the
point from which he started, having
made long diagonal dive up and
across the stream. He struck out
boldly, padding himself along with
one hand. When he reached the mid
die of the stream he raised his arm and
went straight down, disappearing be-
meath the muddy surfare. As the wa
tiers closed over him the maiden who
had been watching every movement
with interest manifested great nervous
excitement, and just as she was about
to Jump into the frail canoe which was
half launched, her lover appeared with
q careless toss of the head, and his
raven locks foated upon the surging
waters. As he neared the opposite
shore the admiring braves, led by the
girl, began waving their hands and
singing song of joy, and when he
reached the bank and stood facing his adj
mirers, loud were the EXPLANATIONS of
gladness sent up from the point where
he started. 1t was indeed a wonderful
feat-swimming the stream with one
arm completely disabled and wearing
heavy buckskin pantaloons and shirt,
with no boat or body guard to accom-
pany him. But he accomplished it
with apparent ease, and for his reward
received what to him was more than
all else combined. The reporter was
told the wedding would take place at
the camping grounds of the Indians.
twenty miles north, next Tuesday.
Among these who witnessed the feat
were several strange Indians. who had
been invited from affair to participate
ingthe festivities of the wedding.-Bss.
saarck ID. r. Tribune