The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1891-01-03
"sHE WHO MUST BE oHEYED."
An Indian Legend with Come of the
Features OF Haggard's Yarn.
Irom &c GLobe- DeIII0crot

49,
strangest tales of superstition comes from
the mountain regions of Arizona, hardly a
score Of miles from the capital Of that ter
ritory. Here is a lone mountain peak called
Mount Superstition, nsmo given it by a
race Of Indians that at very early period
roamed over this part Of the country, which
at later epoch became the hunting ground
Of the Apaches.
Prior to the establishment of missions,
which the archives show to have been more
than two centuries ago. there came up the
Salt river valley a strange tribe of Indians,
who settled at the foot of Superstition
mountain. Their stature was about four
feet, and they came into the valley 1,000
strong, and brought with them drove of
sheep. These strange invaders were peace
full, and followed ia ming. and the Apaches
regarded them as possessing supernatural
powers, and for this reason the squatter
tribe was not molested. TIE In
dians at once began work by irrignt-
ing and tilling the soil. On the summit of
the mountain they built stone wall, where
at night they slept in security from the en-
croachments of their warlike neighbors.
The religious rites of the strangers sur
prised the Apaches. When the sun rose
on the eastern slopes, the dwarfs would rise,
less until it had risen above the mountains.
Then they would lie face downward for
several moments, during which lamentations
we're performed by the medicine mon, after
which they would rise and 90 about their
daily work
The dwarfs occupied their little domain
for five years. when the Apaches, who had
traded with the 'little men," were given q
surprise. The Apacnes had often noticed
hat ha in oil Z a inriO
rites Of the dwarfs had been a woman much
taller than the dwarfs, comma ding in APP
pearanCe. with white skin aud long how-
ing light hair. In their ignora ce and
superstition the Apaches attached to this
queen supernatural powers During the
five years they had never seea this woman
III the valley, and they noted that the little
Indians regarded her as a deity. About
the middle of the summer of tho fifth year
the Apaches learned That body Of armed
warriors were marching into the country
from the south. They prepared for de-
Tense, but learned that the coming war
riors were only in search of the dwarfs. and
they abandonded hostilities.
In the meantime the Apaches noted the
agitation of the dwarfs, and saw them max
ing preparations for resisting foe. Great
piles of stones were piled on the eiges of
the precipices overlooking tho valleys, the
the rude farming utensils taken to the sum-
nit. The Apaches, who are natural born
assassins, had no grievance against the
dwarfs, but were not diSpleased with the
prospects of war, for they thought it would
be to their gain.
The chief of the Zunis, as the invaders
called themselves, told Il strange story to
account for the hostilities of the tribe
against the dwerfs He said that a dozen
hn nf lie ha bad
journeyed to the waters of the rising sun.
Here they found among a tribe of Indians
a beautiful pale-faced squaw. By barter
the priests secured the woman and brought
her home, where she was held in high ven
GRAFTON and reverence. The tribe regarded
her as possessing supernatural powers. The
chief now in command of the invaders pro-
posed to wed her, but she took refuge with
the dwarfs, who were a branch Of their
tribe. which was an offshoot of the Pueblo
Indians.
The chief commanded the dwarfs to sur
render the pale-faced squaw. but they par
leyed and migrated. The chief had now
come to secure the woman and punish the
dwarfs. The invading warriors were about
700 strong and were armed with bows and
arrows, rough spears and stone battle axes
The dwarfs were scarcely armed at all, and
the Apaches figured on easy victory for the
mountain ridge and approached Supersd
ton mountain without attempting to scale
its steep sides.
1t was on o bright warm afternoon that
the inN aders approached the fort Not a
person was in sight but one, and she, the
white woman, stood outside the rough walls,
by the side OF muddy pool, about 100 feet
from the wall. She knew that not an ar
row would be shot or spear thrown at her,
Oh, .N@1 ha,-o hA- kof, 1Hr -
the breeze, a picture of beauty that even
the untutored Indians could not help but
admire, a fitting gauntlet Of battle for the
knight errants OF old. Urged by their chief,
the Indians made a wild rush toward her
but she stood still, the most perfect con-
fidence marked in every feature of her
beautiful face. When the foe was but a
short distance away she picked up an ALA
or earthen jar-and emptied the contents
into the pool, then ran quickly, scaling
the wall by a ladder that was drawn up
after her.
In moment balls of fire seemed to roll
over the mountain. Many Of the Indians
fell dead on their way to the fort; others
terror-stricken, jumped over the precipices
and met their death. The chief was one of
the first killed, and the disorganized band
retreated, while the Apache sentinels who
had been stationed to watch the battle fed
persisted, and not an arrow was fired.
The Indians who escaped said at once
that their defeat was brought about by the
Great Spirit. and returned home. After
this the wonderful powers of the white
squaw were spread through the country
into every Indian tribe, and
was sufficient for time to protect the
dwarfs. Two years after this a band of
Chiricahua warriors, the most bloodthirsty
of the Apache nation, visited the Pinals in
the valley. While intoxicated on pulque
they attacked the dwarfs, and met like re-
Ception to the Zunis, which killed many Of
them.
From this time the little dwarfs vere I'm
molested for several summers, when they
disappeared as suddenly as they came, going
to the southwark. The ApacbeS called the
woman "Pale-faced Lightning" and
claimed that she had disappeared in a blaze
of fire, and that the dwarfs, knowing their
protector had gone, fed to a more secure
place. The spirit Of the pals-faced squaw
is now supposed to reside in a cave in the
mountain, and not one Of the Indians can
be hired to this day to go up Superstition
mountain.
TIE phenomenon that so surprised the
Indians is explained by q gentleman resid-
ing at Phoenix, Arp. Q. Bicknall. lie
says that on the north side of the precipice,
near the old fertilization, is a dyke of pyrit-
GUS iron, and on the south side the mineral