The news and herald. (Winnsboro, S.C.) 1877-1900, 1886-09-04

leaplng from It's crest to the stony base
below. All the pilotstell the story over
and over again Of the tragic end Of the
lprstty Indian girl.r ~ 4
The old man shook hfs head slowly.
81 have heard the story he said
thou9htfully, ''but none of the pale
faces have 1T right"
$"How do you knowP'' "a
ST was there at the time, and do
know"
"Then is the tradition not trueP'
''The brave girl did leap from the
high rock.''' at
"You must be very old. -" ''', !,
''Better than 100 summers,'' he anSl
swered rubbing his thin hand across his
deeply furfowed brow. "I was young
brave then, only boy. but I have for,
gotten nothing" NT ysn8
g"You say the whites do:not have the.
story ofsthe girl correctly, preserve |. go, so
will you tell it tome $50 that / may
know the truth Of the Lovers Leap?"
"Yes," the old Indian said and laid
aside his pipe. lt1' G}@ cIf
s'Winona was the daughter OF Da-
kota chief, and as bright and lovely as
1.-The fairest flower of the prairie. Many
lof the Dakota braves loved the pretty
little sQuaw, and 80 did one pale-face
trader called Seco, who had q 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 go to the
tepee OF Seco and be his.
"Wiuona hated the trader, and loved
a young Chippewa brave named Little
Coon, aud she said in her heart If she
could not go in peace with the Chippe-
wa she would GO to her death.
"Just at that time the DakOtas and
Chippewas went to war and it was no
longer safe for Little Coon to visit the
home Of Winona. lie could not stay
away from the pretty sQuaw, 80 he
went down the Pepin lake IN q canoe
covered with tree top and by the
shadows Of the night. "
"Winona answered Little Coon's call
when he cried out like the little duck.
zone night she told her lover tnat
the chief had sold her to tho Prairie
Chicken or Saco, the trader, and that
her father had said on the next night
she must 40 to the tepea Of the pale.
face to be his squaw. Sic moaned pitt
fully, and said she would throw her.
self to death from the high bluff be-
fore she would 60 to the trader.
"I.ittle Coon asked her to flee with
him. but she said no, for then both
herself and lover would be tralled to
certain death, for the Dakota warriors
hated tie Chippewa braves. ? Y
"They talked long AMI laid q plan to
deceive the chief and her people.
.sIittle Coon hid himself near the
bluff all the. next day. When night
came the chief took Wlnona to the
traders post and left her there. The
squaw was sad, but said not word to
Seco. She sat aud gaZed 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
high hill. The trader was afraid he
would lose her, for she had him told that
she would rather die than be his squaw,
and he ran after her, but it was like
the turtle after the gazelle.
"Winona went with quick feet to the
top of the bluff, and Seco cried out like
the wild cat; and the Dakota chief and
braves who were camped up there,
heard him. t, 4
"They ran quick.
I "Winona saw them. and went to The
very brink chanting the death song.
She bowed herself to the earth, wrap.
ped her blanket about her breast, and
with wild cry sprang out into the
dark air OF the night.
"The braves drew near the place
where the young squaw had stood, and
they beard&the sound Of a heavy fall.
"They looked down into the black.
ness, but could see nothing four trees
deep, but splash Of water was heard
and they knew Winona was no more,
Thay went with quick feet to the Pepin
lake. but the moving water had carried
the dead squaw away forever, they said,
and they turned sadly back to their
lodges" gtu s,.fsa.,Hl
"And they never found the body of
the grip" asked. ,agyI}fA1} N
The white-haired old warrior shook
his head. E{.,3.rt l ~ "
"They did not find the body because
it was not left beneath the high hill,
and it never went down into the lake. -
"The lover carried it away,'' I sug-
gested, q new thought entering my
head instantly.