Wessington Springs herald. (Wessington Springs, Aurora County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1891, 1891-02-06

The old brave knew that the midnight
hour would bring a summons to the
feast, the very thoughts of which stuns
him to desperation.
AS tho shadows of night settled down
upon the unhappy village, he secretly
took down his bow and CULVER of arrows
and crcpt out of his lodge unnoticcd by
the weeping women.
he stole stealthily beyond the circle of
lodges to u clump of trees that com
manded view of the grave of his child.
Carefully concealing himself here. he
prepared to watch the night out, and de-
fend the little grave against the dcprcda-
tions of man or "Manitou.
1t is impossible for white man to
realize the amount of courage which this
act required. Even under ordinary cir
cumstances it would have been very
remarkable display of courage. for the
superstitious fear of the mysterious
was so strong in the Indian character
that the brave who would have endured,
with stOicism. the most terrible fortunes
ut the hand Of an enemy. lived in abjcct
terror OF "mcdicine charms" and "Mani-
tons," or devils.
But this s,lpcrStitious fear. in this
case. had become a frenzy, and mental
tcrrors that besct the bcreavcd brave. as
he counted the slow hours OF his solitary
vigil. are beyond the grasp of civilized
imagination.
The ceasecss lash of the waters OF the
bay, as they broke upon the sandy beach
that girts the western point of tho
island, together with the occasional hoot
OF an owl and the yelps of the dogs in
the distant village, We're tho only sounds
that broke upon the keen ears OF the
watching warrior until shortly before
the midnight hour Then a slight rust.
ling among the bushes, in the direction
of the village, and the huge form of /;
| pale moonlight.
other than Il medicine man TRANSFORMED
into the form OF u bear, according tt
the accepted tradition.
OF what use was i'll to shoot his arrow
at this supernatural being. which wa
invulnerable to the shafts of death, an,
which could destroy him by any of
| thousand mysterious charms?
Nevertheless. the desperate fathe,
! drew his bow and sent an arrow into tn
| bear just as it began to dig inc eartl
| from the childs grave.
In terror at his very audacity and de
iiance OF the medicine Manitous, the oil,
man fled to his lodge.
There was no medicine feast tina
, night.
In the morning a party of brave
visited the child's grave and foun'
| stretched upon it the cold and blood
| body of one of the most dcvilish medicin
! men, wrapped in q bcar-skin and pierce
by the old man S arrow.
! This news threw the village into
/; fresh frenzy of excitement, whic
| reached its height when the report an
| belief became common that the wood
| and shore of the island constantly rt
| sounded with the walls and lament:
tions of the "Che-bi-ug," or the souls +,
the victims"
The terror-stickcn Ojibways prcfcrre
to brave the war-cry of their encmit
on the mainland than to remain OH the
island refuge, and hear the imaginal
wailings OF their murdered kindre
So the entire village eNtinguished i
lodge fires, and fled in their canoes
the ncighboring shores.
For ali least l7G years. not an India
ventured to tarry over night upon IL
haunted island. and Michel Cadottc al
his fellow Erenchmen. who establish.
their trading post on the island in IT'S
were considered by the Indians as foe
hardy in the extreme. 1t was maj
years after the Cadotte's arrival befo
the Oiibways could be induced to ere
their lodges and light their night-fir
upon the site of their ancient capt.
village.
That portion OF the island where on
these frightful scenes of cannibalis
were enacted is occupied by the solita
cabin of hospitable Scotchman-Jol
Grant--whosc hermit life is seldom di
turbed save by the chance visit of
stray tourist In the summer season. A
though thoroughly familiar with Il
history and legends of the island, he pc
sists in bidding lonely defiance to tt
nightly cries of the Chi-bi-ug-the sou
of the victims; FORREST CRIssEY.