Southern standard. (McMinnville, Tenn.) 1879-current, 1886-02-06
tains," he said, "and we will tell these
things to my people,"
at will not be permitted"

"You cannot return. Since you
have met those of the plains and
know the Manitou's secrets, you can
never again go to the mountains.
These mysteries are kept from the
people there so that their lives will
be as blameless. Telling them what
you know would change all. Sorrow
would come with wisdom and thwart
the Manitou's plans. They would
love, marry, and die, as they do on
the plains, in the valleys, and on the
coasts"
While she was speaking the Mani
tou came.
"Fool Of the mountains" he said,
"the law has come upon you. No
more shall you return to thesummits,
lest you die Of my wrath. If know
ledge is sweeter than my will stay
here and suffer its penalties"
When the Manitou was gone the
eyes of the man and woman met;
they smiled, and then upon his lips
he felt the first kiss of his life.
Love was so sweet, as the moons
came and went, that the wrath Of
the Manitou was forgotten.
They dwelt in content in a lodge
which they built near the place where
they first met.
Their beauty and grace went with
their days, but their love was still
unchanged. AS age came upon them
he thought more and more of the
mountain people.
''They shall know these things"
he said at last. Gone day here is
better and sweeter than the endless
days there. The Manitou may de-
stroy me, if He will, but not till my
people have first heard my voice and
know what | would say"
His wife and children, for they had
many, listened to him but said no
word against his will.
They told him that if he went to
the mountains he should not go alone
they would go, too.
"But the Manitou will destroy you
alsom he said.
$50 be it," they answered. And
they all went together.
The homes Of the mountain peo-
pie were reached at last, and the
wonderful story was told. Then the
Manitou came in all of his wrath and
anger.
"That which / have forbidden has
been DONE" he said, in tones so
dreadful that all who heard him
trembled; "and upon the guilty shall
my hand fall. None shall defy the
Manitou, and none shall escape His
vengeance. You who have spoken
and you who have listened shall pass
from off the earth. The sorrows and
evils of knowledge have its fruits
Love, birth, and death shall come
but you who have told these things
shall suffer most. You shall &C
through life in changed shape-you
and your offspring who come after
you. HencefOrth you shall be hideOuS
and monstrous. Flesh shall be eaten
too, but it shall be your flesh and
that of those who are born to you
Accused and hunted, you shall
know no peace. Go! have spOk
en-"
There was a crash of thunder such
as had never been heard before, anC
flash Of lightning which blinded
every eye.
When the glare was gone from
their eyes, and the people could SCI
again, the Manitou had vanished
from sight.
His lodge was rent into fragments
He had passed through the heavens
and they had closed behind Him for
ever.
Innocence and purity were gone
from the earth, and the mountain
people, for a time, were afraid to lool
into each others faces. Every ont
felt a sense Of shame and woe anC
sorrow.
When they turned to upbraid thos,
who had brought down the Mani
tou's wrath upon all, the husband
wife and children were gone, like tn,
Manitou.
In their places several hairy crea
lures, monstrous and awful, wer,
moaning and paving the ground
Snorting and believing, they raj
down the mountain-the first of tn
vast buffalo herds which afterwarC
covered the plains. They have beer
mans food ever since, and the ours