The Bossier banner., 1886-07-29

hermit food, we sat cross-legged like
Turks and smoked our pipes. The In
dian was inclined to be reticent at first
but when he learned that I was from
the Upper Mississippi he became inter
ested.
''You have been up and down the
great riverp" he interrogated.
''Many times" l returned.
'You have seen the great bluff on
the sunrise side of Lake Pepin, then -
''Maiden Rockp"
'.Yes.''
''Time and again. It is famous
rock. Every boat that passes up or
down the river contains people who
gaze upon the great bluff and think of
Winona, who killed herself for love by
leaping from its crest to the stony base
below. All the pilots tell the story
over and over again of the tragic end
of the pretty Indian girl"
The old man shook his head slowly.
II have heard the story he said
thoughtfully, ''but none of the pale
faces have it right"
Show do you know?'
Il was there at the time and do
know"
.Then is the tradition not true?"
"The brave girl did leap from the
high rock"
"You must be very old"
"Better than one hundred summers, I"
he answered, rubbing his thin hand
across his deeply furrowed brow. 81
was young brave then, only boy,
but / have forgotten nothing"
''You say the whites do not have the
story of the girl correctly preserved, SO
will you tell it to me, that may know
the truth of the Lovers Leap?''
"Yes," the old Indian said and laid
aside his pipe.
"Winona was the daughter of Da-
kota chief and as bright and lovely as
the fairest flower of the prairie. Many
of the Dakota braves loved the pretty
little squaw and so did one pale face
trader called Seco, who had trading
post two rifle shots below the bluff.
The trader offered the chief much
money and beads for Winona, and the
chief said the squaw should 60 to the
tepee of Seco and be his. Winona hated
the trader and loved a young Chippewa
brave named Little Coon, and she said
in her heart if she could not go in peace
with the Chippewa she would go to her
death.
''Just at that time the Dakotas an6
Chippewas went to war and4t was nc
longer safe for Little Coon to visit the
home of Winena. He could not stay
away from the pretty squaw, so he
went down to Pepin lake lin canoe
covered with a tree top and by the
shadows of the night.
"Winona answered Little Coon s cal
when he cried out like little duck
One night she told her lover that the
chief had sold her to the Prairie
Chicken, or Seco, the trader, and that
her father had said on the next night
she must go to the tepee of the pale
face to be his squaw. She moaned
pitifully and said she would throw her
self to death from the high bluff before
she would go to the trader Little
Coon asked her to flee with him, but
she said no, for then both herself and
lover would be trailed to certain death
for the Dakota warriors hated the
Chippewa braves. They talked long
and laid plan to deceive the chief and
her people.
Little Coon hid himself near th,
bluff all. the next day. When nigh
came the chief took Winona to the
traders post and left her there. The
squaw was sad, but said not word tt
Seco. She sat and gazed at the star
for long time. Seco talked to hel
like the cooling of dove, but his word
touched not her heart Then she aros,
and ran towards the high hill. TIL,
trader was afraid he would lose her
for she had told that she would rathe
die than be his squaw and he ran aftel
her. but it was like the turtle after th,
gazelle.
"Winona went with quick feet to th'
top of the bluff and Seco cried out lik,
the wild cat and the Dakota chief ant
braves, who were camped up there
heard him. They ran quick. Winon;
saw them and went to the very brinl
chanting the death song. She bowet
herself to the earth. wrapped he
blanket about her breast and with
wild cry sprang out into the dark air o
the night.
1.-The braves drew near the plac
where the young squaw had stood ant
they heard the sound of heavy fall
They looked down into the blackness
but could see nothing four trees deep
but splash of water was heard ant
they knew Winona was no more. They
went with quick feet to the Pepin lake
but che moving water had carried tn,
dead squaw away forever, they said
and they turned sadly back to thei
lodges
.sAnd they never found the body O
the girlp' / Iasked,
The white-haired old warrior shool
his head.
.sThey did not find the body becaus'
it was not left beneath the high hill ant
it never went down into the lake.
"The lover carried it away" / sug
gested, new thought entering my hea'
suddenly.
..It went away with Little Coon. bu
he did not carry it. Winona was no
killed"
The idea was absurd. A human