Springfield globe-republic. (Springfield, Ohio) 1884-1887, 1886-07-09
AN INDIAN LEGEND.

| chase with the purpose OF going To the
settlement. An hour of hard trudging
through the snow still found me among
the whitened trees, confused, lost
After fully awakening 10 n realization
Of the situation, there seemed to come a
cold wave sweeping through the great
dismal forest. and with the shudder of ap-
prehension came a chill that seemed to
stitfen my limbs and frost my face. The
paroxysm of fear lasted but a briet period,
but the intense cold could not be over
come by mental action, and the fact be
came furcibly impressed that must keep
moving or perish.
III only knew which way to 60" NUT
! tered to myself.
gazed up through the leafless, creak-
ing branches of the tall trees TO see if the
stars had appeared, but the sky was over
cast and not a twinkling object met the
anxious gaze. Night had fully come; there
was no moon, but the darkness was not
| intense. The earth being mantled with
| fleeCy white, and the trees fringed tn
the same, dark objects We're visible for
| several yards around.
The tramp was resumed with no idea as
/ TO direction or what adventures lay in my
path. Perhaps l was going deeper and
deeper into the great woods, and if not
there was little hope Of getting out that
night.
What night! Thr wind cut as if filed
with millions of fine Ieedles, flying points
/ foremost, and now Eegan crusting so as
! TO make walking mere labOriOus.
| cast about me for some spot which
would afford shelter from the bowling
tempest, but only the sturdy trees, stud
! ded in the great, white blanket could be
/ seen. | was weary and chilled to the
bone, but dared not stop. Hour after
/ hour slowly passed, and no halt had been
made. My watch told me that half of
the night had passed, but could l survive
the other halfy That was the question
| did, of course, but il seems 10 me Row,
as it did then, that Providence guided my
weary steps to a safe rescue.
| At the very moment when | was dis
cussing the possibility Of enduring the
cold until dawn a strange object loOmed
up before me. 1t was a wigwam made Of
! poles and closely covered with bark.
A single wigwam buried, it proved, in
the heart OF the great Canada woods A
cloud of smoke almost as white as the
snow issued from the top. Never was
mortal more gratified Going close TO
the fur closed doorway cried out:
Hello, there!'
There was no response and l cried out
again. The skin moved and the muzzle Of
a rife appeared.
"A white hunter lost in the woods"
said. getting out of t t range Of the gun.
White hunter come in.
A moment later | was out Of the biting
frost out Of danger.
found the only occupant of the forest
lodge TO be very aged indian. His face
was wrinkled, his form bent, aud the light
covering of hair upon his head rs white as
the crystals hat danced in the winter
wind outside.
Tne old man spoke English very clearly,
and seemed glad had come.
He revived the fire, wrapped a blanket
of wolf skin about my shoulders, and at
once set about preparing some warm
drink and food. After thawing out and
partaking of the red hermit's food, we sat
cross legged like Turks and smoked our
pipes. The Indian was inclined to be re
ticient at first, but when he learned that !
was from the Upper Mississippi he became
interested.
You have been up and down the great
river" he interrogated.
MANY times" l returned.
You have seen the great bluff on the
sunrise side Of Lake Pepin, then"
Maiden rock'
Yes"
Time and again. 1t is a 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.
al have heard the story" he said
thoughtfully. but none of the pale faces
have ii right"
How do you know''
Il was there at the time, and do know"
Then is the tradition not true'"
The brave girl girl did leap from the
high rock"
You must be very old"
Better than 100 summers" lie answered
rubbing his thin hand across his deeply
furrowed brow. Il was a young brave
then, only q boy, but have forgotten
nothing
You say the whites do not have the
story Of the girl correctly preserved, so
will you tell 1t to me that may know the
lIulu VI tue Lover > Leap
Yes" the old Indian said and laid aside
his pipe.
"Winona was the daughter of a Dakota
chief, and as bright and lovely as the fair
est 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 a trading post two
rifle shots below the bluff The trader of
iaf
for Winona, and the chief said the
sQuaw should go to the teepee Of Seco and
be his
"Winons hated the trader and loved
young Chippewa brave named Little Coon, |
and she said in her heart If she could not |
go In peace vito the Chippewa she would |
go to her death
Just at that time the Dakotas and |
Chippewas went TO war and 1t was no
longer safe for Little Coon to visit the
home Of Winona He could not stay /
away from the pretty squsw, so he went |
down the Pepin lake in a canoe covered |
with a tree top and by the shadows of the |
night
"Winons answered Little Coon's call .
when he cried out like the little duck.
"One night she told her lover that the .
Chicken, or Seco, the trader, and that
her father had said ON the next night she
must 60 to the teepee of the pale-fac TO
De bis sQusw. She mosned pitifully, and
said she would throw herself to death
from the high bluff before she would 20 to
the trader
Little Coon asked her to flee with him,
but she said no, for then both herself and
lover would be trsilsd to certain death,
for the Dakota wsrriors hated the Chip
pewa Graves
They talked long and laid plan to de-
cisvs the chief and her poop1a
Little Coon hid himself near the blum
Ill the next day. When night came the
chief took Winons to the traders post and
left her there. The sQuaw was sad, but
said not a word to Seco. She sat and gszed
At the stars for long time. Seco talked
TO her like the cooling of a dove, but his
words touched not her heart
Then she arose and ran towards the
nigh hill The trader was afraid he would