Southern standard. (McMinnville, Tenn.) 1879-current, 1886-02-06
Whence the Buffalo Came.

ten, will afford the lovers of weird
and mythical romance a most defect
able repast.
One of the most striking and char
acteristic of these mountain legends
is, with some slight modification, as
follows:
The first people Of the earth were
the Manitou's own children. He
formed them Of the snow of the
mountains and filled them with His
own breath. So they were pure.
They were few in number and their
faces shone like the mountain sum
shine. They lived on the SUBMITS in
the hearts Of the great Rocky noun
tains, where the Manitou had His
throne.
The Manitou provided food for
them, and for the birds, beasts, and
fishes, without destroying any form of
life.
Age followed age, and still all was
the same; there had been no dissen-
sion, blood had not been spilled, nor
had flesh been tasted.
The happiness which first came
with them was still complete.
There had been no loving, passion,
or marriage, and though there were
both men and women-as now-the
secret of sex was unknown.
But once has the earth echoed the
tread of perfect people. Those who
came with the first morning and who
lived in the Manitou's ways until
the passing of the time was beyond
mans reckoning finally had the
curses and pangs of wisdom brought
upon them by the touch ola woman's
hand.
The Manitou had commanded His
children never to enter the valleys,
and as long, dark shadows swept over
these low places the people were glad
to stay on the SUBMITS in the sun
light.
One day, in the season of melting
SHOWS, man, whose splendor none
excelled, climbed farther up one of
the highest mountains than he had
ever been before.
Suddenly great bodies Of snow
began sliding down the mountain all
around him, and at length the mass
upon which he was standing began
moving, too.
Straight down toward one Of the
forbidden valleys it went and the
man with it.
He knew no danger, save that of
displeasing the Manitou, for danger,
like pain, was altogether unknown
among those who dWelt in the noun
tains.
But he could not stop, and the snow
bore him on down into the valley be-
low.
There was a great river at his feet
which the snow choked, and he was
borne safely across and left standing
upon the other side.
He looked back, but the snow was
already washed away by the river, SC
he could not return to the SUBMITS in
that way.
81 must hasten away" he said.
"Why?" asked a voice at his side
"Why must you hasten away?"
He turned and stood face to face
with a smiling woman.
"Why must you go?" she asked
care you Of the mountains-of the
Manitou's own people?"
He was moved by new emotions
and his blood leaped through his
veins with a new swiftness.
The smile upon the lips and IN the
eyes Of the woman held him like 6
spell. Everything but her and hel
strange beauty were forgotten.
eyes," he answered, 81 am Of the
mountains, but who are you"
Still smiling sweetly, the woman
put out her hand and touched hi
face. Unresisted, she drew his heaC
forward until it rested upon hel
bosom.
81 am the daughter of the plains
people," she said. "Like you, w,
used to dwell with Him in the sum
mits, but He was offended because
we sought wisdom, so He sent IL
away. Some of us stayed in thes'
valleys and out upon the plains, anC
others went far away upon the coasts
With knowledge came love, sorrow
pain, sickness, death, and war. w,
also grow old, and some of us die o
age. Others are born in their places