Wichita eagle., 1888-04-01
LEGEND OF THE FALLS.


at the foot of the falls, amid the rapids,
but the main part of which has been
swept away by the foods in recent years.
However, they were there somewhere,
and among them was the beautiful squaw,
Anpeta Sapa, whose name the pale faces
interpret Dark Day The Dark Day had
been q reigning belle among her people.
She attended all the plum stone parties,
kettle drums, ) O'Clock teas and other
little affairs of the kind that were given
by her friends, and at the great dances Of
her tribe her beauties and good qualities
of heart and mind were praised in weird
chants. A bold and brave young war
rior fell desperately in love with her,
and took her to his tepee to be his
wife. The ancient traditions do not re-
cite the name Of the warrior, but TO make
the tale run along the more easily he
shall be known as "The Lofty" for the
chronicles describe him as tall, athletic
Indian, with fiery eye and commanding
presence. The pair lived very happily
together for few years, and their union
was blessed with two children, q boy and
. girl The Dark Day was model house
wife. She kept the table standing and
the victuals warm while waiting for her
uuSudIll W CpUIS lrUL1 y anu
when he scolded her in an aboriginal, un-
reasonable way about nothing at all, in
stead of calling on his mother-in-law to
squelch him, she simply cast her dark, PEN
sive eyes to the ground, heard him out,
and then ran up and gave him kiss,
after which he became more reasonable.
In the meantime The Lofty had become
a famous hunter, unrivaled in the chase
by any of the warriors of the tribe. Game
was scarce when he could not 60 out and
bring in half dozen deer and few buf-
falo. This made him popular among the
young men who gathered about him. and
told him that on the death of an old chief
they would make him chief Of the tribe.
He listened to them and very soon be-
came a victim of ''swelI head' Now he
had passionately promised the beautiful
Anpeta Sara that to her his entire affec-
ton would be given; that he would ever
cherish her with '.Florentiue Fourteenth
century devotion' Tor words to that
effect, and would never, never, never,
desert her for another But his flatterers
and admirers began to poison his mind.
They urged upon him that, for the in
terests of the tribe, he should ally himself
by marriage with s certain powerful
family, in order TO gain their support in
future times. Ambitious and anxious to
retain himself in the good graces Of his
friends he at last-but OH how reluct-
antly yielded TO their opportunities and
entered upon marriage Of expediency.
Now, for a Sioux, The Lofty seems 10
have been very good sort OF q fellow 1t
is even related that he had conscience.
and that after becoming bigamist this
conscience gave him many little prick,
for had he not told the beautiful Anpeta
Sapa that he WAS her owuest own, and
would never bestow any part Of his affec-
tions upon another' Under the cfrcum-
stances he did not like to break the news
of his recent marriage to wife No /; so he
made it appear to her that he was only
contemplating marriage, and with true
Indian laziness tried TO persuade her that
1t was all for his and her good and for the
best interests of the tribe that the mar
riase should take place. he tried to make
It out, too, that owing TO the numerous
receptions and levees it was becoming
necessary for him TO hold in order to keep
up his popularity, the tax upon her as the
lady of his household was becoming too
great for one woman alone to bear, and
that she must have some one TO help
her out on these high society ocsa-
sions. It was, indeed, dark day. The
stolid Indian wife wept and pleaded and
protested. She would do all the work Of
the household alone, and would slave day
and night If thereby she might retain the
undivided love OF her husband and win his
smiles-for even a stoNd Sioux
will sometimes smile when he is pleased.
1t was in vain that he told her that the
new wife would not be permitted to cast
any dark shadow upon the househoidi
that Anpeta Sapa would always ne fore
most ia his affections, and that she had
naught to fear. The faithful, pleading
wife, brushed aside all these subterfuges
as unworthy of the bold warrior on whom
her heart was fixed, and her chidings and
pleadings were more passionate and de-
spairing than ever The Lofty returned
from the interview discounted and sor-
rowful, but at last he determined to tell
her all She listened 70 his story-told
in gentle tones, for The Lofty was not
heartless or cruel-but she uttered not a
word. Her heart was broken. She went |
to reside with her parents, taking her two
children with her, for there were no |
divorce courts to resort to in those days.
In the fall of the year great hunt was
and the entire village, squaws, |
paPooses and all-wenr out upon the 'ex- |
petition. When they were returning |
down the river, well laden with the spoils |
of their hunt, Anpeta Sapa in a canoe |
with her two children hung behind the |
rest Of the party. She ran the canoe |
ashore on an island-probably the same /
that is now called Nicolles-and here she |
,rrayed herself in the picturesque attire /
n which she had been welded to the am
bilious warrior. A crown Of eagle feath-
srs rested upon her raven locks; great
strings of wempum decked her bosom;
richly embroidered clothes constituted /
ler garments. Then the children, too,
;he arrayed in gorgeous attire. The little
boy, who already gave promise Of becom-
lg great warrior. and who was dearly
oeloved of his father, she painted and
licked in true warrior style, and in his
hands she placed bow and arrow. Then /
stepping again with him into her frail
,anoe, she pushed out into the middle OF
he stream. In moment the canoe was |
n the current. sliding slowly toward the !
.atsract.
Then. with her eyes fixed upon the far
iistant horizon and needing nought about
ier, she commenced 20 chant her death
ouG, wherein she recounted the story Of
he happy days which she had spent with
Ter husband and of the evil days thst had
ollowed- While she was yet singing the
vierd song Of death the canoe reached the
rest of the falls In a moment all was
'ver. The frail vessel shot over the preci-
zee and was dashed to pieces on the rocks
'elov, while the heart broken wife Of TIE
.ofry and her two children wera carried !
way by the rapids, AID il corporal sub
talee were never see. thereafter. The
ioux maintained for long tine. how