St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1888-11-12
A LEGEND OF GROW BUTTE.

A LEGEND OF CROW BUTTE.
How, Quick-Witted Indian
Maiden Saved Her Tribe From
Slaughter.
Omaha Bee.
Near Crawford the buttes that are so
often met in the Western country first
begin to crop up from the prairie, and
stand like outposts of the hills that lie
further west. Box butte, Coffin butte
and Crow butte are all familiar to the
residents, and around each the tradi-
lions of the Indian still linger. The
latter. by an almost imperceptible rise
from the plain, reaches an altitude of
some 200 feet, and then ends abruptly in
an almost perpendicular descent to the
plains below. No human being could
scale the face of the cliff, and yet this
was battle ground of long ago.
the Sioux and the Crow Indians, but
fortune favored the former until they
had driven their enemies up the slope
to the edge of the precipice. Then
with one wild charge they closed in on
them till the last Crow in the band was
forced over the edge and ended the
battle and his life on the crumbling
powders below. Once again, the Sioux
surrounded remnant of the tribe, and
once more they forced them to the
same death trap. 1t was growing
dark when they reaceed the spot,
and they camped for the night SO
that none of their enemies could
escape them, as might happen if they
charged them in the darkness; Estab-
fishing Gordon of sentinelS around tine
doomed foe, they spent the night in
feasting, awaiting the carnage OF the
morn. And it is here the Indian TO
mancer weaveS in one of the simple
Hove stories characteristic of the people,
handswithout which no legend would be
complete.
+ Many moons before Laughing Eyes,
Iathes young and beautiful daughter of
the Sioux chief, had wandered away
from her fathers camp only to be capt
l9ured by a band of rowing Crows. No
council was necessary to decide her
fate, and she was hurried away to the
hunting grounds of her captorS, where
they could at leisure wreck vengence
on her for the wrongs inflicted by her
tribe. Cupid willed it otherwise, how
lever, and before three days of journey
hadbeen completed, Owashna, ris-.
hing young chief, was smitten with
her charms. Knowing that he alone
would be powerless to save her, he rode
| ahead of the band, and, reaching the
| village of his people before them, he
lbindaced an ancient squaW to adopt her
| in place of a child she had lost during
| before. Although disappointed in their
uictin tho CrOyyC oOu16 not diSputa the
| business of the exchange, and ere long
| all had forgotten it save Owashna and
| his rescued Laughing Eyes. She had
| learned the story, ami in her case gratl-
| tude turned to love as she listened to
the stories of her lovers achievements.
When not on the War-path, he spent his
| time in the chase, and daily brought
the product to the tepee of her adopted
| mother.
Then he claimed her for his bride,
| and it was while she was accompanying
him on the annual buffalo hunt that a
! few of them became separated and
were so surrounded by the Sioux. Then
while the braves were gloomily await
ing the dawn, in which they decided to
sell their lives dearly, her Woman'S wit
was busy devising the means OF escape
for herself and the one she loved.
shown him, she quietly killed her fav
orite pony, and not until she appeared
before her lord, laden down with the
| blood-stained hide, did she divulge her
plan. 1t was to cut the hide into strips,
and knotting them together, form
rope, down which they would escape.
1t required but few moments for the
remaining horses to be dispatched, but
once more she stepped forward and in
sisted on only one rope being used.
Her request was granted, and one after
another the entire party reached the
bottom in safety, and she alone re
manned above. Then, placing a knife
between her teeth, she commenced the.
perilOus descent, stopping for moment
when about tw0-thirdS of the way
down. Here she drew the knife swiftly
across the rope, and with a prayer to
the Great Spirit, continued her douDly
dangerous descent.
The result was as she had expected,
and for which she had risked her life.
Knowing that many of her former kins-
men would, doubtless, follow the small
band of fOOt-sOre Crows, she knew they
would take the same means to descend
the cliff. and unable to remove the
rope, she weakened it where those on it
would have no means of escape. Early
next morning the Sioux discovered their
enimies had Out-generaled them, and
short search revealed the tell-tale rope.
Each was anxious to be first in persuit,
but, after seeing that the rope was Sc
|5curely fastened, the place OF honor was
given to the bravest warriors, who, one
after another, followed their chief. All
went we'll until they passed the place
where the rope had been cut, when the
combined weight of two or more OF
them caused it to snap, and they were
hurried to death.
Others were on the way down, but
were doomed, fol-. being unable to ascend
the greasy rope, they hung suspended
between earth and sky until WORKOUT
nature could no longer stand the strain.
and they too, fell and died. The sur
,vivors clustered around the edge above
them, listening to their death songs
until the last voice was silent, and then
they returned to their teepees, too APP
spalled by the catastrophe to make an
immediate pursuit.
Ii OWashna and Laughing Eyes thus
|gescaped, and evidently lived and died
f,fapbily, for they are heard of no more
i'm the legends of the nation; but the
butte that brought them into prOmi-
nence stands as of yore. land is one of the
attractions to sightseers at Crawford.