Idaho news. (Blackfoot, Idaho) 1887-1891, 1889-11-09

4
and thrown our flies. A fly could
scarcely touch the water before it
was seized by some hungry and keen
eyed trout. Finally, tired of the
sport, we determined to put back to
my fly once more. There was a
slight tug, but to my annoyance |
found the fly was caught in bit of
drift. We padded up to it, and,
reaching over to free the hook, saw
that bracelet you have been look
ing at. At first | did not
notice the letters scratched on it, but
fell to wondering how it got into the
lake, for certainly for twenty years
past no Indian had been within n
mile OF the lake.
Capt. kow, who was one OF the
Oldest pilots on the river and deeply
versed in all of the river lore, took
the bit OF iewelry in his hand and be-
gan close examination. He was.
in the main, one of the coolest men |
ever knew and seldom showed the
slightest emotion under any circum-
stances. He had examined the brace
let but a moment or SO when heard
him eXclalm, in what for him were
most unusual tones: Here, c. H.
Chats what he always called me),
look and see if these scratches are
not letters looked and made out,
as you have, the word NOMAH. Yes.
ycs, said the captain, that's what |
thought. The first part of the name
has been effaced by time, but the
name in full was Multnomah. When
was boy remember she was the
most beautiful maiden among the
Klickitats-and they were warriors
in those days
Why, captain, said /, this is
quite romance; tell me about it,
"'There isn't much to tell, except
that thirty years ago Harry Spra-
que and myself were just of age. and
the klickitats were powerful tribe
of Indians, and during the salmon
season they came in great numbers
to the Cascades to fish and gather
berries Harry and | were on the
steamboats, running to the Cascades,
and Multnomah was beautiful In
dian girl. | always thought that
she must have been descendant OF
some adventurous fur trader, for her
features were of Caucasian type, and
her complexion was not moro dusky
than that of u Spanish beauty.
Harry fell in love with her and she
with him-those things often hap
pened in the early days, you know
and all would have been well but for
the Indian war which broke uud
about that time. and the tribe to
which Multnomah belonged LETT the
river to 90 on the warpath A little
while before the tribe disappeared
Harry had taken one of Multnomah's
bracelets and scratched on itwith his
knife her name. Shortly after this
the blockhouse at the cascades was
attacked, but the Indians were re-
pulsed, and that night we captured
a young Indian boy lurking around
the settlement who knew Harry and
conided to him that Multnomah
wished to meet him the next night
at the Lost lake. 1t must have been
very important business that would
have induced the Indian girl to visit
the dreaded lake; but we feared a
plot and tried to dissuade Harry
from gong. He went, and when he
returned, a day later. it was only to
die OF innumerable arrow wounds.
Before he died he told me that he
had reached the lake just at dawn.
He was at the point of stepping
from the underbrush when he caught
sight of MultnOmah standing on
log projecting over the water. Her
long hair fell over her shoulders in
disorder and bright red blanket
chung in graceful folds about her
slender figure. She was gazing in
tently on the lake. Harry was just
about to speak her name when an
arrow whizzed through the air
straight to the heart of the dusky
maiden. Backward she fell into the
lake and sank beneath the surface.
At the same time Harry received a
mortal wound. He never told us
how he got back to the river and we
buried him in the woods lie loved SO
well. The Indians always claimed
Multnomah was seized by an evil
spirit which lives in the lake in the
form OF monster fish and devoured.
At any rate her body was never
found; but this was her bracelet.
Strange that it should have been re-
covered after SO many years
"And that" said the gentleman,
as hereached for fresh cigar, sis why
/ said there was remarkable story
connected with that bit of jewelry."
Alta California.